Little Ocean, Smallest Sea
by UnluckyWriter
Summary: During a fight with Kronos and the Demigods, Percy was turned into a 5-year old! With no memory of who he is, Percy's stuck with...Luke. Contains slash! And some potty-mouthing! Pairngs: Luke/Percy and others...
1. The Fight

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

**Summary: During a fight between Kronos and the Demigods, Percy was turned into a 5-year old! With no memory of who he is, Percy is stuck with…Luke. **

**Pairings: LukeXPercy, and others…**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books, if I did, I'll probably screw it up. *cackle***

**Time: Between 'The Battle of the Labyrinth' and 'The Last Olympian'. Some things are going to be a bit…different.**

**WARNING: Contains YAOI and some potty-mouthing. Just to let you people know. =3**

The weak flashlight flickered, throwing haphazard shadows on the labyrinth's walls. The demigods kept moving, throwing wary glances over their shoulders with a hand on their blades.

The one in the front, her red hair now muted to a dying candle flame's color by the shadows, was human. She stopped and froze, eyes squinting in the dim light. The others, demigods, froze also. The boy with messy black hair and sea-green eyes stepped up.

"What is it, Rachel?" Percy asked softly, his hand on his sword which was in pen form. Rachel squinted again, answering in a quiet tone, "We're almost there. I can see a room." And with that last word, she walked on.

Percy was about to follow when a hand clamped on his arm. He turned around and was met with fierce gray eyes.

"How do you know if she's not going to lead us in a trap?!" Annabeth hissed. Behind her, Grover the satyr bleated in a muted fear. Nico hung back, the shadows bending in his direction, while Tyson shivered.

Percy pulled his arm gently away and began walking to catch up with Rachel. "I trust Rachel, Annabeth. And anyways, she has gotten us this far, right? She won't betray us."

The others began to follow Percy; the flashlight's light dimming even more. Annabeth stood still, glaring at the ground. Then she sighed and ran to catch up with her friends.

***********

Kronos and Luke walked in the labyrinth with a small line of monsters behind them. Kronos flexed his fingers and walked deliberate steps, testing out his new body with a child-like amazement.

Luke watched in hidden fear, thankful that he had backed out of the deal right in time, for that might have been HIS body Kronos was testing out.

The body that Kronos now inhabited, was tall and muscled with dark black hair. The person use to have blue eyes, but now it changed to a liquid gold that represents that Kronos, was now the host. Yes, Luke is VERY grateful.

"Why exactly did you backed out of the bargain, Luke Castellan?" Kronos said, a wicked sneer on his face, deeply amused at the flash of minute terror in the teen's face.

Luke jumped at the sound of his last name and cursed himself for showing such weakness. Luke straightened and replied. "Because I wanted to kill Percy Jackson myself, sir. He owes me his death for all those times…" Luke trailed off in silence. He didn't know why, but his chest throbbed in pain when he said those words. Especially on the younger boy's name…

Kronos nodded, not noticing Luke's mental musings. "Yes. Percy Jackson has caused much trouble for me. I suppose I'll leave him to you…or maybe I'll kill him myself." "**NO!"**

Kronos and his monstrous soldiers froze in shock, as Luke stiffened in horror of what he had screamed out.

"No? What do you mean 'No'?" Kronos questioned, narrowing his gold eyes.

"I-I mean, I want to kill him myself. That's why I didn't accept the bargain, because if I did, it wouldn't be me that would kill Jackson. It'll be you. I'm the one who has to kill him. No one else." Luke stumbled, sweating bullets.

Kronos stared at him closely, Luke held his breath. Then the titan brushed it aside and walked on. "Keep walking, my servants."

Luke let out a relieved breath. '_That was close.'_ He thought. But he didn't know _what_ he was so afraid of for- _him._ '_I just want to kill him. He is the death I will cause.' _Luke reassured, but he knew that deep inside, it wasn't that.

Shaking his head, the scar-faced teen walked quickly to reach his master's soldiers.

***********

"Is it just me, or is the flashlight getting dimmer?" Grover asked, his hooves clopping unevenly on the dirt ground. Percy shook the flashlight and replied," Nah, it's not dimming at-"

_Psssst._ The light hissed out before it went dead.

"-all." Percy finished lamely, staring blindly in the dark. Everyone stood still.

"Tyson thinks it is time to get out swords now." Tyson said in an oh-so-wise voice. Nico snorted, but complied nonetheless, with Percy following.

The swords let out light, and the corridor shone darkly. Everyone shivered.

"Umm…well, let's go now." Rachel muttered. They all turned to go when a new sound rose.

_Click._

"W-what is that?" Grover squeaked. Annabeth just swallowed.

"I-it's nothing. Let's move it." Percy weakly said. They were about to move again, when the sound came again.

_Click click click click._

The kids froze and looked at each other. They didn't need words to tell what they were thinking. The clicking noise said everything. '_Let's ditch it.'_ They thought, before they took a deep breath…and ran down the hall screaming so loud, Hades would've probably heard it.

***********

The old room was empty (save for some glowing boulders and other shining rocks) and silent. But it was a tranquil kind of silence, the kind that people with 3-year old children wished to have. That nice silence was brokened as Percy and company blew right in screaming bloody murder.

"_AAAAAAHHHHHHH-_ hey, we're in a room filled with big glowing rocks!" Grover said in bewilderment, scratching his horns. The demigods gave him a stare that said, _'Dude, that's so random.'_ If Juniper could see him now…

A shrill noise broke them out of their reverie as Annabeth shrieked out loud. "Where's Rachel?!" She flushed. '_Why did I just said that?! I-I don't even like her!'_ Annabeth thought angrily.

No one noticed as Percy also exclaim, "Where's Tyson?!" A stomping sound came from the corridor they came from. Nico, Percy, and Annabeth raised their swords and knives, while Grover slipped out his reed pipes. They waited in silence as…Tyson ran in carrying Rachel. Everyone relaxed.

"Where were you guys?" Annabeth demanded, checking in account of Rachel's slightly pained face. For some unknown reason, that sight made her heart hurt.

"While we ran in the corridor, I tripped and fell, so Tyson doubled back to get me. Thanks Tyson." Rachel explained.

Tyson nodded and gently set Rachel down. "Tyson likes to help."

Rachel smiled and tried to stand up, but she quickly sat back down gasping in pain. Annabeth quickly crouched down and grabbed Rachel's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I-I think I sprained my ankle." Rachel breathed out, her face white.

No one got a chance to answer as the clicking noise sounded again. "Oh, _come on!"_ Nico groaned. Annabeth stiffened. "It could be Luke and company." Percy froze. '_L_-_Luke_?!' The demigods readied their weapons as…a furry animal strolled out into view. Their jaws dropped.

The animal had think spiky fur, little black eyes, a long snout and tail, and long claws that gleam like it was made out of…_metal._

"This whole time, the thing that was chasing us was a-a-a- a mouse?!" Nico said, waving his pale hands around.

"Umm…I think it's a shrew." Grover guessed, staring warily at the animal as it scratched its snout.

Nico narrowed his eyes. "Mouse."

Grover narrowed his eyes back even though he was kind of afraid of the pale boy. "Shrew."

"Mouse."

"Shrew."

"Mouse."

"Shrew."

"Mouse!"

"Shrew!"

"MOUSE!"

"SHREW!!"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS!!!!!!! IT'S A MOUSE, DAMN IT!!" Nico yelled, stomping his feet. Everyone went silent. Said mouse/shrew thing walked pass them, uninterested in the episode over it.

"Umm-mmm-mmm-mmm! You just said a bad woooord!" Grover squealed, pointing a finger in Nico's general direction. Everyone sweat dropped. Yes, If Juniper could see him now…

Percy didn't hear any of that. He was still thinking about Luke…how he thought the older teen was his friend…how Luke betrayed him and the camp in the end…how he lo-

Percy mentally slapped himself in the face. '_Snap out of it! It would NEVER happen. And even if it did…'_ Percy snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a gasp. "Oh my gods." He slowly turned around, and wished he hadn't.

Percy choked on his saliva. '_How- where in Hades's name did they come from?!' _

The others, hearing the gasps from Annabeth and Percy turned around, and promptly, their jaws drop.

The three Fates sat there. Their ancient faces staring firmly at them as they knitted a GIGANTIC pair of socks, one of them knitting a sock on the left, the other knitting on the right, and the middle held electric-blue socks. They sat in rocking chairs, bony arms sticking out of bleached looking cotton dresses, and silver hair pinned up with a bandanna. Just like the last time Percy saw them when he was twelve. He shivered.

"Why a-are you h-here." Percy managed out, hating how he stammered. The Fates didn't answer, only knitting and sitting quietly, their ancient power radiating off of them.

Before Percy could say anything else, Grover and Rachel stiffened.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth questioned.

Grover sniffed the air and bleated. "I-I smell…monsters." Rachel nodded. "I can see a small group of monsters…with Kronos and Luke."

Everyone froze once again. Tyson was the first to react.

"Let's hide behind those big rocks." He gestured.

Percy nodded and began leading them to the boulders, ignoring the three Fates. Tyson scrambled up and behind the rocks, carrying Rachel. When they all settled themselves behind the boulder, they wait. They didn't have long to wait.

A steady stomping noise issued throughout the corridor, then someone or _something_ exclaimed and some rustling could be heard. Silence ensued. Everyone let out a slow breath…and was not prepared for what happened next.

The mouse/shrew thing from earlier flew out of the corridor screaming, as droplets of blood rained on the luminous rocks. Nico placed a hand over Grover's mouth as the goat boy choked in fear and anger. Rachel covered her eyes while Annabeth stared at the scene in horror. The Fates calmly watched. Percy felt sick.

A laistrygonian strutted out, grinning manically. The giant saw the mouse/shrew thing still squirming on the floor and the grin on its face grew even wider. Then it pounced.

The mortal kids drew their eyes away as the pitiful screams and vicious, amused laughter, mixed with crunching noises rang throughout the room. The Fates didn't blink; they just kept knitting their socks for Godzilla. Grover gave a silent sob of fury as he became limp. Percy set one of his hands on his best friend's shoulder in a sign of comfort.

The worst of their troubles wasn't over. Kronos came into view with Luke and his monster soldiers behind. If they noticed the Fates, they didn't show it. "Having a snack?" Kronos called out to the Laistrygonian, smiling wickedly. The giant grinned again, showing bloodied teeth. Grover shuddered.

"Do we keep walking, Lord?" Luke asked, his scar showing faintly in the luminous light. Percy stopped breathing, staring at the tall teen. '_Luke…'_

Kronos nodded. "Walk on." Kronos and his minions prepared to go on the move again. They were right next to the corridor when it happened.

_Clink._

The small army spun toward the rocks, while the demigods turn to look at a frightened Annabeth. '_Oh gods.' _She thought.

Percy prayed that they enemy didn't noticed. _'Especially Luke...'_

But as the saying always goes, 'fate was a bitch.' And they were sitting in front of all of them.

Luke narrowed his eyes. "You there." He pointed toward one of the laistrygonians. "Go check behind those rocks."

The game was up. This was it. Percy gave his friends each a look. They knew what it meant. There was no choice. They drew their weapons.

The laistrygonian that Luke chosen lumbered over to the boulders…but never got far.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Percy screamed, as he leapt out of the hiding place before stabbing the giant directly in the chest.

The laistrygonian had the look of utter confusion before he disintegrated into dust. Time frozed. Then it all erupted into chaos. The demigods and one satyr leaped out of the boulders and began combat with Kronos's minions, while Rachel tried to move her sprained foot and huddled in fear.

Percy was fighting another laistrygonian, when his instincts flared up and he ducked as a sword swung at his cranium. He quickly killed the giant before spinning around and parrying the other's sword.

Wide sea-green eyes met with angry blue. Luke snarled and began swinging wildly at Percy. The fight was going evenly until the younger tripped over a glowing rock. _'Oh shit.' _Percy thought, as his back hit the ground. Luke kicked Percy's sword away and prepared to unleash the killing strike…

And found that he couldn't. Percy stared up at him. Luke tried to will his arm to move. '_Move damn it!'_ But his arm didn't budge.

Even thought he was confused at why the elder didn't kill him yet, he was smart enough to take the chance. With a yell, Percy kicked Luke's legs out from under him and scrambled to his feet. Luke went down with a groan. Percy felt a pang of guilt, but he had to go on. Riptide appeared in his hands.

Percy spunned around and saw Nico fighting the titan, Kronos. Kronos laughed, and in a swift movement he kicked Hades's son into the walls. "NICO!!" Percy yelled. Through the battle, the Fates still just watched calmly.

Kronos raised his scythe made out of the same metals as Luke's sword, Backbiter, and countered Percy's attack. The two began fighting each other. By now, Percy's friends had finished with most of Kronos minions, and Tyson ran to check on Nico.

The titan lord noticed his disadvantage and silently growled. He didn't like it. But he has to retreat; his body isn't ready enough to handle his power, so he couldn't control time without disintegrating. With a final snarl, Kronos knocked the others sword away, and sliced lightly into Percy's abdomen. It was enough. The force catapulted the fifteen-year old…straight into the Fates.

A part of the ocean child's soul was cut, and it hurt so much. But the pain was about to intensify.

The Fates eyes widened as they saw the body coming right at them, and in defense, they shot a bolt of ancient power at Percy to catapult him somewhere else. The result was instant. In a flash of bright light, Percy's form was illuminated, a blood-curdling scream coming out of his mouth.

"PERCY!!!!" His friends screamed. Luke watched in horror. '_NO!'_ The light suddenly sucked into itself and Percy's body fell limply to the floor. Grover ran over to his best friend, while the others stayed rooted to the spot in shock.

"Retreat." Kronos ordered coldly, before he quickly walked out in the corridor with the remaining of his servants stumbling behind. Luke took one last look at Percy's unmoving form before following his master. '_Percy…'_ His chest ached and he didn't know why.

Tyson snapped out of it, and helped Nico up, who looked like he had concussion. Annabeth unconsciously helped Rachel down and called out to Grover. "Grover…is-is Percy okay?"

The goat boy shivered and his voice trembled. He turned around with a small unconscious figure in his arms, and the others gasped. "H-he's alright. But I think we have a problem."

_To be continued…_

UnluckyWriter: Ok ok, I know this story is crappy. It's made up (by me, DUH), the writing's crappy, and I have grammar mistakes. SORRY! But hey! I tried. I've been working on it for 3 days! Man, it does suck. But if I get maybe a few reviews…I'll add another chappie! That's my deal! SO yeah, the story's crappy, but I hope ya like it anyways! =3

REVIEW!! ………pwease?


	2. Munchkins and Promises

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

**Chapter 2**

_**Note: Okay, just to let you new-comers know, this is my first fic ever!! Awesome ain't it? Yep! I can't make any guarantees that this fic would be good, but hey! I'll try!And yes, there are grammar mistakes, but some of them are suppose to be like that. So thanks for reading this fic, and please review? =3 Oh yeah, and there's no Luke or Kronos in here, so yep!**_

_**Pairing: LukeXPercy, and others…**_

_**~UnluckyWriter**_

**Genre: Humor/Romance, may contain angst, depressing and rather sad themes later on. Beware!! (It also contains: YAOI!! If you don't know what it means, look it up on Google!!! Thank you! =D)**

**DISCLAIMER: THE PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIAN SERIES DO NOT BELONG TO ME! I REPEAT, THEY DO NOT! Be thankful Rick Riordan! =3**

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Chiron was listening to Dean Martin and reading a book when the cries came up. The centuries old trainer set his book down and cocked his ear.

"_Grover! Hey man! Wait- wha-?!" "Annabeth, what's going on?" "Is that a mortal in our camp?" "Where's Percy?"_

Chiron furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. '_Another commotion. I wonder what it will be.'_ He mused. He stood up in centaur form, and ambled over to the doorway, expecting something surprising.

What he saw that minute, hour, day, did not even _compare_ to surprising.

***********

"How did this happen?" Chiron asked, staring at the bundle that Grover was setting down on a bed.

Everyone that was on the mission and Chiron was all crowded in the Big House. All the rest of the demigods were outside, milling around and wondering what-in-the-world had happened.

Chiron stood at the foot of the bed, Annabeth was seated on a soft chair, pale and shaking. Rachel wondered to the window, anxious. Grover bleated and Juniper comforted him, worried out of her mind. Tyson sat on the floor, quivering and shooting looks at the figure under the covers. Nico was situated in the darkest corner of the room, the shadows swaying around him, and his face emotionless. But if anyone looked closely, they could see his clenched fists and pale complexion that was whiter than usual.

Annabeth sucked in a watery breath. "I-I don't know Chiron, one minute we were fighting and then the next-" She broke off, tears suddenly brimming over. Even though the crush on Percy faded and he was now more of a brother, that bond only strengthen even more, and it didn't hurt any less, seeing one of her best friends in…this form.

Everybody went silent, listening to the figure's soft breathing from the bed when Clarisse knocked and stepped in.

"There's a mortal woman at our borders. It looks like she can see through the mist, because she stopped her car and went up right to our barriers. She says her name's Sally Jackson." Clarisse, for the first time, looked uncertainly at Chiron. "Do I…Do I let her in?"

Chiron sighed and nodded. He had called Percy's mother. "Yes, let her in please, Clarisse."

The tough girl nodded in return, stepping out of the Big House quickly. Silence ensued once again, until running feet was sounded outside.

Sally Jackson barged right in the door, panting and talking franticly, "Where is he?! Where's Percy?! Oh gods-"

She finally took one look at the figure in the bed, and screamed. Her screamed woke up the sleeping 5-year old who was…Perseus Jackson.

***********

The child, eyes so big and wide, stared out at the inhabitants of the room. No one breathed. Then Annabeth stepped forward. "P-Percy are you-"

"NOO!!" The 5-year old screamed, scooting away. Annabeth drew back, shocked. Percy started to shake uncontrollably, then he saw his mother. "M-mommy?" His lip quivered and his eyes went misty, but the tears didn't spill.

Sally walked up to her child and held out her arms. Percy immediately leapt and hugged her neck, hiding his small face. "P-Percy…" His mother sounded like she was about to cry. The others watched the spectacle quietly.

"Mommy, w-who awe these peoplwes?" Percy whispered, peeking out at Chiron and the rest. Rachel spoke up before Sally did. "We're your friends, Percy."

The 5-year old frowned. "But…I haft no fwiends." He let go of his mom and dropped on the wooden floor, tugging on his mom's pant leg. "Mommy? I'm scwared. I wanna go home." He whispered.

Annabeth felt tears rise up again, Tyson looked hurt, and Grover looked like a kicked puppy. "But Percy, we _are_ your friends. _You're_ our friend."

Percy hugged his mother's leg closer. "I-I haft no fwiends. I'm nobody's fwiend."

Even Nico was shocked. '_Percy?!'_

Chiron clopped his hooves unevenly. "L-let's talk this over tea, shall we?" He offered shakily.

***********

Everyone sipped sweet tea as they watched 5-year old Percy munch on blue jellybeans sitting on a chair next to his mom. Sally Jackson looked pale, and she kept on shooting sad, but loving looks at her now 5-year old son.

"I suppose Percy lost his memory in the process," Chiron commented, drinking his cold tea. No one spoke. Sally choked back a sob.

"…Mrs. Jackson?" Rachel inquired. Percy's mother turned and faced the red-headed mortal, listening. "How…why is Percy…scared? Of us…" Rachel asked, making hand movements to empathize her question.

It took a while before Percy's mom answered, grabbing her child and setting him in her lap. Percy grunted but kept chewing on the blue candy, giving nervous looks at the strange group.

"Well…" Sally started. "You know why I had to marry Gabe Ugliano, right?" The demigods, satyr, mortal, and centaur nodded. Percy growled, hearing his step-father's name, but he sat still. Sally's eyes turned a little misty. "Before that though, Percy and I use to move all around New York. It was really hard for us, me having to do odd jobs, and Percy being taken cared of by sullen teenagers, it wasn't the happiest light. But we were alive and together. That made it all up."

Sally's audience listened, entranced. They have never really heard about Percy's life…

Percy's mom went on. "Since we moved around a lot, Percy has always had to quit in the middle of school, wondering why he had to leave all his friends. And since then, a few years later, he…some kids didn't like him and…I don't really know what had happened. All I remembered was the principle calling me something about Percy, and when I got there…I just don't know. Percy wouldn't tell me what happened…just saying 'it was nothing' or 'nothing was wrong.'" Sally wiped her eyes, and Percy looked away.

"That time, many monsters began noticing him, and every night, I wake up in a cold sweat, checking if my baby was gone or not. I love him so much that I was willing to marry Gabe for his sake. And now…I don't even know."

Everyone was silent, pondering what Sally Jackson just said.

"Momma, pwease, I wanna go home." Percy mumbled, grabbing his mother's hand.

"And back to Gabe?" She questioned, hiding a small smile. Percy made a face. "Not Smelly-Gwabe agwain!!"

Annabeth couldn't help it. She laughed out loud. Going into a creepy-as-hell ancient labyrinth, seeing enemies, battling gigantic furry cannibals, and seeing her best friend turned into a munchkin, it was a wonder how she even survived so long.

Percy started, and hid behind his mother's chair, peering out uneasily at Athena's child. Annabeth's smile faded a bit and she felt like crying again. She reached out a hand at Percy, who shrank away in fear.

"Percy, it's alright. I'm your friend, I wouldn't hurt you." She said gently. The munchkin stared at her doubtfully. "I…I haft no fwiends."

"No, you do have friends Percy, you're our friend. Our special friend."

He shooked his head. "No, no, no, I haft no fwiends! I'm bad! That's why daddy left and I'm stwuck with Smelly-Gwabe! I don't have fwiends!!" The inhabitants of the room stared at the spectacle in a small horror. '_P-Percy?!'_ Sally closed her eyes in sadness.

Annabeth felt her eyes misting over, but she kept pushing on. "You're not bad Percy. I'm your friend! We're all your friends." She reached out further and he shrank away even more.

"Percy, I'll even make a promise. I swear that I'm your friend, and I'll always protect you. I swear, Percy, I swear."

He stared at her, chewing his lip. "You…pwomise?" He asked tentatively. She nodded.

"I promise."

"Cwoss your heart and hope to die?" He pushed on, his eyes innocently shining curiously.

She nodded firmly once again. "Yes, cross my heart and hope to die."

All was silent.

Percy hesitated. He picked himself away from the chair and walked over to the blond girl, and touched her hand lightly. "I…I bewieve you."

Annabeth felt her heart stop. She pulled him and crushed him in a hug that rivaled Tyson's. Percy stiffened, and struggled lightly, whimpering. She pulled away quickly. "I-I'm so sorry Percy! It's just-" She stopped, almost crying. A small hand tugged her and she looked up to stare at the little 5-year old's face. Her best friend smiled. "It's okay…I never had a fwiend who did that fwor me befwor…Thank wyou."

And that, was the brightest moment of all.

***********

"Mrs. Jackson, in your son's current state, he is vulnerable to attacks. He must stay here." Chiron stated firmly, to Percy's mother who was watching her child talking animatedly to Annabeth with the other teens listening closely.

She turned to the centaur. "Yes…he must stay here. It's safest, the best…" She trailed off softly, eyes holding the most agonizing pain the old trainer had ever seen.

"But- you can still visit him, Mrs. Jackson! He's staying here for his safety."

She smiled warmly. "Please call me Sally, and thank you, Chiron. Even if you hadn't offered, I would've still made my way in here for Percy. No one will hold me back from my child." She said it so intensely that Chiron held a spark of fear.

He nodded. "Yes. I promise you, Sally, he will be safe with us."

She nodded in return and stood up. "I trust you, Chiron. Thank you so much. Well, I got to go, Paul's waiting, probably wondering what I've been up to." She smiled gently.

The trainer of heroes watched as the bravest woman he had ever known, walked over and hugged her son.

"Percy." Sally called. The sea-child looked up. "Mommy has to go, so I'm leaving you here, okay?" Percy's eyes widen and he grabbed his mother's hand. "No, don't weave me!"

Sally painfully pulled away. "Percy honey, please. It's for your safety, please do this for me. And Annabeth's here, she'll look after you. I'll come by everyday, I promise."

Percy looked up, his eyes tearing. "Pwomise?"

Sally nodded. "Yes honey, I promise."

"Okay…"

Sally hugged him for the last time and stood, wiping her eyes. "I love you Percy, so much."

"I wuv you too, mommy."

A few minutes later, Percy watched his mother's car driving away down the lane, her last words telling him to behave and be nice before it faded away in the distance. Everything was still. Percy turned around and faced the demigods, satyr, and mortal.

"Sooo…you'we my new babysitter?"

And thus, Perseus Jackson's future began.

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**UnluckyWriter: Yay!! Another chappie!! I'm sorry that I didn't update sooner, but come on! I barely have any internet access, and school's being arseholey to me lately, so I say it's fair! Thank you so much for the reviews!!!! Thank you thank you!! I promise, I will try to update, but don't count on it being soon!! So thanks and…review? =3**


	3. Days of Bonds: part 1

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

**Chapter 3**

_**Pairing: LukexPercy, and others…**_

_**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN RICK RIORDAN'S PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS!! If I did, won't that be the end of the world?**_

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Breakfast, is one of the enjoyable experiences of life. Especially when you have delicious hot foods, and drinks in ultra-awesome cups that could change into anything! Perseus Jackson was having that great time, eating eggs and drinking cherry-blue Coca-cola for breakfast. Hallelujah.

"Percy! Drinking Coca-cola isn't good for you in the mornings!" Annabeth scold, grabbing Percy's magic cup thing away from the small fingers. Percy pouted. The two were eating in the Big House, enjoying the delicious breakfast.

"Buwt it tastes soooo gwoood!!!" He frowned and pouted even more. "I WUV cherrwy-bwu Coca-cowa!!"

Annabeth felt her resistance failing, but no- she must be strong. She will NOT fail. Yet.

"I know Percy, cherry-blue Coca-cola does taste good, but it's not healthy for breakfast!" She exclaimed, shaking her finger. "Sugar's not good for you."

Percy gave her a deeper pout. "Pwease?"

"Percy, come on, I said-" Percy's pout was intensifying and Annabeth caving. NO! Must…be…str-

And that's when it happened. Percy unleashed his ultra-super-mega-triple pout complete with the biggest, saddest, sea-greenest, and innocent puppy eyes. Now _that_ was an effective weapon. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, felt her jaw drop. _'Oh, Hades!'_

"F-fine." She sputtered, looking away. "But don't you come running to me when you're sick." She hand him the cup, groaning.

"YAY!!!"

As Percy grabbed the cup, laughing and guzzling down the drink, Grover the satyr watched with mixed emotions. Happy: because his friend was safe and okay. Sad: because Percy changed into a munchkin without his memories of the past. And a little jealous: because his best friend trusts Annabeth more than him. But Annabeth was a more better choice than Kronos…

Than Grover thought about the future. How Percy had forgotten about everything…what if Percy stayed like this for the rest of his life?! The very thought traumatized the poor goat-boy. He whimpered.

"Awe you eating tin cans?"

The satyr choked and quickly looked up to meet big sea-green eyes staring up at him.

"Uh…" Grover looked down and saw what remained of the tin cans that his granny sent him. '_When did this happen?!'_ "Umm…yeah. I'm eating tin cans." Grover answered, grinning sheepishly. Everything was silent. The goat-boy thought he had accidentally scared the little kid, when Percy cocked his head to aside and asked, "Do they taste gwood?"

Grover slowly nodded. "Of course! They're highly nutritious and great for you. It's not my fault that human teeth weren't made for tin cans."

Percy looked even more mystified and he began asking more questions, with Grover answering and munching on cans.

Annabeth turned away to hide her smile as she noticed that, with each question and answer, Percy and Grover were growing closer, until Percy was right next to the satyr, laughing and grinning. Percy even seemed to be opening up a little more each conversation. Maybe today there won't be that many casualties…

Until the little munchkin chomped on one of the tin cans.

"OOOW!"

Okay, maybe a few casualties…

***********

Rachel watched Percy with his two friends, chatting and giggling. She wished she was with them, to belong…with them. Her hands began to mindlessly move on their own, grabbing paper and pencil and doodling all around. She sighed. More laughing ensued in the corner, and the red-haired girl grit her teeth, her pencil almost stabbing the thin sheet of paper. She didn't notice what she was drawing until a voice exclaimed over her left shoulder.

"WOW!! This is gwood! I dint know you could draw like that!"

It was Percy. Obviously. The w's in the words explained it all.

"Ooh, ooh- can I draw too?" Percy asked excitedly. Rachel numbly nodded, staring as the 5-year old grab a pencil and began drawing.

A few seconds later, Percy held up the paper with a "TA-da!" Rachel took the small picture, and she studied it.

The sea-god's child shuffle his feet embarrassedly and mumble, "It's not as gwood as ya'lls, but I wike it. I drew all my fwiends!" He then proceeded to point out who's who by first starting with Annabeth, her hair all flouncy looking, with Grover next in line, drawn eating tin cans. And when he pointed to the third figure, is when Rachel felt her eyes go wide.

"Hewe's you!" Percy chirped, pointing at the last figure on the right holding a pencil. "Since you wike to draw, I drwew you holding a pencil writing thing!"

Rachel didn't know what to say.

"Well…it's not very gwood, but I'll let ya haft it! I hope it's okay to ya…" Percy scratched his head. "You'we one of my fwiends! And that's what fwiends do." He nodded.

Silence. Then Rachel found the words she had to say.

"Thank…you."

Percy just smiled in response.

***********

_Whizz-zoop!_

The Frisbee sailed over Percy's head as Annabeth threw it. Grover, Percy, and Annabeth were playing Frisbee (DUH) out on the beach, while Rachel preferred to sit and watch. Nico stood under a tree staring sullenly at nothing in particular.

"I gwot it!" Percy called, already heroically running toward the neon orange disc...but he ruined the image by tripping over a rock and falling splat on his face. Thank goodness that he landed on the sand…

"Ughhh…" The kid groaned. He reached for the disc, but his fingers barely made it. _'Jwust … a…wittle…cwoser…' _But his fingers just scraped the rim. Percy groaned, and prepared to dunk his face in the sand, when a gigantic hand appeared holding the Frisbee.

"H-here you go." A soft voice murmured. Percy looked up to meet one giant brown eye of Tyson. "Eh?" Was the 5-year old's intelligent response. Tyson bit his lip and looked away, scared that Percy would reject him like other people. But the reaction the Cyclops expected weren't just what he expected.

"YAY!! Thwank ywou!!" Percy squealed happily, grabbing the orange disc while hugging the big guy's leg. Everyone that witness the scene sweatdropped.

Percy tugged Tyson toward the others. "Come pway with us!! I'll bet you'wll be gwood!" And Tyson went, confused yet he felt amazingly _happy…_

So the demigods, satyr, and Cyclops played, laughing and throwing a whizzing disc all over the place, until…

"Hey! Well ya look at that! The One-Eyed Freak's playing with a couple of midgets! Well, isn't this precious?"

Tyson flinched and everybody turned around to meet the newcomers.

Clarisse and some of her siblings stood around, smirking and snickering. "What lousy company," Clarisse remarked snobbily. She turned to Tyson. "Why aren't _you_ somewhere else where you belong? Besides being with these worthless kids. Like, say, a _dumpster_ for example. It'll probably do you more good."

Tyson's lip began to tremble and he flinched with every word that was thrown at him. Clarisse continued on, sneering. "Aww, look at it! The Freak's about to cry!" She laughed jeeringly. "Who needs a monster like you?" She taunted, "You're just a worthless piece of trash that shoulda died long a-"

"YWOU BE QWUIET YOU MEANER!!!"

Everybody turned to look at the small, bristling form of Percy Jackson. Clarisse got over her shock and lazily yawned, while drawling, "Oh, a little midget. How scary." She turned to Tyson and the sneer snapped in place. "I _so_ feel sorry for you with _things_ like th-"

"Why down't ya talk to someone you'we own size!" Percy yelled, scowling at the big, beefy girl. "Ywou weave Tyson awone!! He's more nwice and stwonger thwan you! So be qwuiet you- you- you POOPY MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!"

Everyone was silent. Surprised. Heck- shock was an understatement. And then, the dam broked.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME YOU LITTLE MAGGOT??????!!!!!!!" Clarisse screeched, her face flushed red with flames dancing in her eyes. But still Percy defiantly jut out his bottom lip and snarled (Awwww…), "Ywou heawrd me!! Ywou can't hwear eitha? Than ywou must be dwumber than ywou smell!!"

Under the trees, Nico snickered silently. "She just got served." He muttered.

By now, the daughter of Ares was frothing at the mouth in fury as she struggled through her siblings arms to beat the living crap out of the munchkin, who in turn was also struggling through his friends arms while screaming out childish insults at Clarisse. Hallelujah.

"You stupid brat!! I'm the strongest demigod around here!!" Clarisse yelled, cracking her knuckles.

"Oh yweah?!" Percy challenged, smirking an evil smirk that no 5-year old should have. Annabeth shivered.

"Yeah!" Clarisse retorted.

"Oh yweah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh yweah?!"

"YEAH!!!!!!"

"OH YWEAH??!!!!!!!!!"

"**YEAH!!!!!!!"**

"If you'we stwong, than pway Fwisbee against me!!" Percy declared. "We'wll be on teams. Me on a team with Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson. While you with ywour brothwers and sisters. Deal?"

"Deal!" The war girl snarled.

The munchkin than proceeded to explain the rules of the game. "Okway, you see that twree ova there?" He pointed to a random tree next to the mess hall. "That's _ywour_ goalposts." He pointed to another random tree, this time, a tree next to where Nico di Angelo stood. "That's _our_ goalposts. You'we suppose to get the Fwisbee past the otha team's goalposts."

Clarisse nodded. "So what's the catch if we win or lose?"

Percy stared determinedly. "If ya win, ywou get to call us fweaks and stuff, but if we win, you must stop calling us names and weave us awone!"

"Fine. Let the game, begin."

While the teams ambled off to their respectful places, Annabeth went up to Percy and worriedly exclaim, "Percy! How is this going to work?! We would lose!"

But the munchkin just smiled and say, "With ywour smwartness, Grover's coowioness, Tyson's stwongness, and my awesomeness, we WILL win!!" Everyone once again sweatdropped. "And beswides," Percy muttered, "I downt like it how she was mean to Tyson. That waszint nice!! Tyson's awesome!!" Percy nodded furiously, and walked off. Tyson felt tears spring up and he felt tearfully joyful. '_Brother…'_

They all got into position and waited. Clarisse readied the Frisbee. Grover swallowed a lump and shot a look at Percy. '_Percy, I hope you know what you're getting us into.'_ Percy's expression was hyperactively happy. Grover put his face in his hands. _'We're DOOMED.'_ He felt an urge to eat tin cans…

***********

**End of part 1: **_**To be continued…**_

**UnluckyWriter: Hey, sorry for not updating for a long time! (Scratches head) School's been a pain the rear, my computer access is VERY limited, and the stupid Writer's Block always hit me at the worse unimaginable!! So yeah…sorry!! And OHMIGOSH!! I GOT REVIEWS!!!!!! (Dances) YAY!!! Thank you, you loveable darling peoples you, for giving your time for my story and reviewing, I feel ecstatic! Thanks soooooo much!!! So HAPPY LATEISH HALLOWEEN AND COOKIES FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**P.s. oh yeah, to PercyJacksonfan4ever **_**or**_** 98: Sorry I couldn't reply back to ya!! I tried checking you up on the net, and I came to a deviant art thing, and I can't reply on that cause then, I would probably need a deviant art account and it'll create more chaos in my already chaotic life, so sorry!! But thanks so much for reviewing my story!!!!!!!!!!!! **

**REVIEW PLZ!!! AND YOU'LL GET EXTRA COOKIES 50% OFF!! (LOL jk. But review plz!!)**


	4. Days of Bonds: part 2

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

_**Chapter 4: Days of Bonds-2**_

_**Pairing: LukeXPercy and others…**_

_**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES….and I don't own Frisbees either, so there! Happy now?**_

* * *

It was a nice afternoon. Extremely nice. And peaceful. Too bad the joy wasn't going to last long.

A battle was about to begin. Big-mean-as-crap-team vs. Medium-sized-scared-outta-their-wits team. Two words. Not. Good.

"HYAA!!" Clarisse screamed, tossing the neon-orange Frisbee like a javelin. The Frisbee flew, cutting through air like a knife in butter…heading right toward Grover Underwood.

Grover stared blankly at the Frisbee as if he was seeing it for the first time.

'_Holy Artemis-! Oh my gods!! It's coming right at me!'_ Instinctively, the satyr turned around to flee-

_**WA-THONK!! BAM-FLOP!!!**_

Everyone, even Clarisse winced as the neon disc smacked the goat-boy's cranium and he fell down, senseless.

Nico wrinkled his nose sympathetically. "_That_, has got to hurt."

Percy quickly tottered over and grabbed the disc. "Thwanks Grover!" Percy chirped. "Food…" Grover groaned in return.

"Percy, over here!! Throw it!" Annabeth shouted, waving her arms while running toward the other team's lines.

"Gwot it!" Slinging his small arm back, the 5-year old let 'er rip! For a child, the munchkin could throw far. It flew over Ares' daughter's head, and landed in wise-girl's mitts.

Clarisse howled in fury as she changed directions, Percy's loud cackles reverberating all over the valley creating extremely weird echoes. Rachel and others shivered.

***

Malcolm, Annabeth's half-brother looked up from his history book with a disturbed look on his face as he heard…strange evil laughter echoing off of somewhere…

"…I have _got_ to lay off the biscuits, man."

***

Annabeth's short Frisbee journey was going pretty well, until two honcho-meat-guys blocked her way.

'_Oh man!'_ Spinning around, she tossed the disc to Tyson.

The Cyclops expertly grabbed it from the air, and ran on, knocking buff dudes twice his sized away like leaves in the wind. Tyson frozed when Clarisse bared his way, teeth set in another taunting sneer. "You know you're not going to win, freak. Do the easy thing. _Hand the Frisbee to us."_

The big guy didn't know what he should do. Should he keep the Frisbee and keep on going or give it to-

"Tyson! Tyson! Ova hwereeee!!"

The Cyclops quickly looked over and saw Percy hopping around like a maniac. "Hwere! Hwere!" The munchkin yelled.

Tyson didn't know what Percy's plan was, but he trusted him with his life. Squealing the words, "_Peanut butter!"_ he threw the orange disc…but it flew too high for the midget to reach. '_NOO!'_ Tyson mentally screamed, berating himself for miscalculating the throw. But Percy had a plan.

"Bwackjack!!" The 5-year old bawled, jumping from foot to foot.

Everyone, including the knocked-in-the-skull-just-five-minutes-ago goat boy stared. Then…while the neon Frisbee was still soaring through the air…slaps of air could be heard…like wing beats.

With a grin, Percy hopped up, and in swoop Blackjack slowing down a little as the little kid landed lightly on his back.

'_Sup boss! What next?'_ The Pegasus whinnied.

Percy pointed toward the still flying Frisbee. "Afta that!" And with that word, the winged-horse took off.

Everyone was still staring with a fascinating expression on their faces.

'_Percy sure has been busy…' _Annabeth mused, eyes following the Pegasus and midget demigod flying and catching the neon disc.

Snapping out of the reverie, Clarisse shrieked in aguish, and stomped her foot like a 5- no, scratch that. Percy, the-now-5-year-older-around-here is more mature than her. So she stomped her foot like a…angry-cafeteria-harpy from hell. Wow…

"You BRAT!! This wasn't part of the rules!!"

Percy mischievously stuck his tongue out at her. "Exzwactly! Thwis wasn't pawt of the rules, so it's wegal!! Nya nya NYAAA!!" And the midget on the flying horse wheeled around and started heading toward the Ares cabin's goalposts.

The tough girl once again screamed in blistering fury, when one of her siblings interrupted her. "Hey Clarisse! We could try-"

Clarisse spun around and snapped, "WHAT?!!"

Her sibling squeaked and cowered, but he still perked up and said, "We could try my super-secret weapon!"

Clarisse's answer was a baffled look. "You have a secret weapon?"

The sibling rolled his eyes. "_Super_- secret weapon," he corrected her.

Clarisse cracked her knuckles, "Whatever! Now hurry up! The brat's getting away!"

Not wanting to get beaten up, her sibling quickly drew out a HUMOUNGUS bazooka looking-torpedo looking- missile with a trigger…filled with donuts.

"I call it my Donut-zooka!" He proudly said. Wow, that's so incredible, Captain Obvious.

Clarisse stared in a morbid/horrified way. "What in Hades?! Are you Ares' child or Athena's, for gods' sake?!"

Her sibling blinked. "Uh…"

"Whatever!" Clarisse snatched the Donut-zooka out of her half-brother's hands and started aiming for the cursed brat on the flying horse. Target sighted. She carefully aimed. Target locked. She pulled the trigger.

***

Blackjack was enjoying the wind as he flew, when Percy gave a yell.

"Bwackjack!! DUCK!!"

The black Pegasus turned to look. '_What are you talking about b-'_

_**THUD!!!**_

'_Holy horse feed!' _Blackjack whinnied in pain, as the object that hit him fell from his neck. _'What the heck was __**that?!**__'_

Percy gulped. "Donuts…"

The Pegasus looked down toward Clarisse, and saw her smirking with the biggest bazooka thing he had ever seen. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. _'You have got to be kidding me.'_ Apparently, the Ares girl was not.

With a very insane cackle, Clarisse began multiple shootings at her sole target. "Die die die." She hissed joyously. Her sibling gave her a worried look.

Blackjack and Percy flew and dodged the lethal donuts, and the Pegasus was slowly getting confident. Blackjack dodged a volley of chocolate-sprinkled delicacies and snorted in amusement.

'_You call that shooting?! My granny could shoot better than THAT!' _the flying horse brayed and whinnied. But since no one could understand horse language than Percy, they didn't have an inkling of what he was snorting about. Clarisse had an idea that the horse was mocking her, so she scowled and began shooting more furiously.

"Don't egg her on, Bwackjack!" Percy warned, clinging tightly to his friend's mane.

Blackjack snorted. _'What she going to do besides shooting donuts? Bagels?'_

His next words were quickly cut off when the biggest volley of donuts ever rammed into the Pegasus's side.

'_AAAAACKK!!' _Blackjack yelled. '_Mayday! Mayday!'_

"Kweep fwying!! Kweep fwying Bwackjack!" Percy shrieked.

'_Can't…'_ Was Blackjack's last word before plummeting toward the Earth.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Percy screamed.

"I got them!!" Clarisse screeched in delight, ditching the bazooka to the ground and already running toward the falling midget demigod and Pegasus.

_**BOOM!!**_

Dust billowed everywhere as Blackjack and Percy landed, making a huge crater. Everything was silent. Then…

"Ugh…" Percy groaned, his right hand still clenched on the Frisbee. The 5-year old than sat up. "Bwackjack? Awe you okay?"

The Pegasus looked dizzy. "Evil…donuts…" The flying horse muttered before flopping his head on the ground. Percy took that as a yes and stood up, rubbing his bruises.

"YAAAAAAH!!!!" Someone screamed, and stomping feet could be heard.

Percy looked up and squealed in terror. A rampaging Clarisse was coming right toward him, screeching with smoke billowing out her ears.

"This is payback, brat!!" Clarisse seethed, raising a meaty hand to clobber him. Percy shrieked and duck, running underneath Clarisse's legs.

"What the-?!" Clarisse snarled, spinning around. Percy already had a head start, running like lighting. But the big girl was much faster. She took off after him.

"PERCY!!" Annabeth shouted, running to catch up, but the munchkin was too far away to be helped. Nico watched the scene in stiff amazement.

Percy grit his teeth and kept running. '_Awmost…there…'_ Then something tackled him and he dropped to the ground, still holding the Frisbee.

"Got you now, you stupid brat." Clarisse sneered, reaching to take the Frisbee.

"I win."

Clarisse stopped short, hearing Percy's words. "What do you mean, _'I win'_?"

Percy craned his neck to the side, and Clarisse saw his evil smirk. "Ezwactwy wike I said, I win."

Clarisse gave him a baffled glare. "What?"

Percy snickered, and with one hand, he gestured around him. They were past Clarisse's team goalposts.

"I win." The sea-child said triumphantly.

Time stood still. Then, registering what the midget said, Clarisse howled and readied to punch him. "You _ugly, stupid, BRAT!!!" _She roared, bringing her fist down…but something blocked the punched.

Clarisse jerked her head up to meet a livid Tyson's frown, then he swatted her to aside like a fly.

"No one hurts my brother!" The Cyclops declared, shaking a fist.

* * *

End of "A Day of Bonds- 2" _To be continued…_

**UnluckyWriter: Hey peoples! Sorry for not updating sooner, school was being a jerk to me. So yeah! I'm still gonna type when I can, just not often, so hold your horses! Now…please review? =3**


	5. Days of Bonds: part 3

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

_**Chapter 5: Days of Bonds-3**_

_**Pairing: LukeXPercy and others…**_

_**Note: **__**Okay, I've been getting reviews (I am? Wow…) that I'm making Percy pretty immature than he should actually be. And yes, I know. But I got my reasons. My inspiration into making Percy's 5-year old personality, came from random fanfics…and my 6-year old sibling. Yes, strange isn't it? But hey! If you EVER had a sibling like mine, you would wonder if they're actually 6 or 3! My sibling is practically the symbol of immaturity!! So yeah, sorry this fic isn't actually your typical normal 5-year old thing, it's just like that. But since Percy is acting too much like a 3-year old, I did some more brainstorming (daydreaming)!! To let you peeps know, I don't write any of my fics on paper at all. I just get on the Word thing, and wing my way with the flow, imagining all kinds of plots, ideas, and pure randomness!! So yep, I got a new idea for Percy's immaturity thing, and WA-BAMMO!! I'm using it! If you want to know what it is…(-wink-) then go on and read it…if you dare. (Jeez, this note is LONG. Sorry peoples!)**_

_**WARNING: YAOI-NESS, possibly some YURI (-squints- I believe I have just typed that, yes. Got a prob?!!) And I think some MAJOR OCness!! BEWARE!!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: This is what happened when I **__**TRIED**__** to claim the Percy Jackson series…(I have not succeeded, mind you.)**_

_**-One day…-**_

_**Me: (-knocks on house door-)**_

_**Rick Riordan: (-opens said door-)…Who are you? Another fan? Sorry, I'm still working on the new series, so go away and leave me alone!!**_

_**Me: (-pushes Agent looking glasses up nose-) Mr. Riordan, even though I am a fan, I have not come here to just say 'hello'.**_

_**Rick Riordan: (-confused look-) Excused me?**_

_**Me: (-holds out hand-) Give me the ownership of the Percy Jackson series and I won't have to hurt you. **_

_**Rick Riordan:…**_

_**Me: Are we going to do this the hard way, or easy way?**_

_**Rick Riordan:…(-disappears into house and reappears with a phone dialing 9-1-1-)…(-speaks in the phone-) Hello? Officer? This is Rick Riordan, and I need help. There's a weird kid with weird glasses on my lawn…**_

_**Me: (-backs away slowly-) I guess that's a 'No' then…(-turns and runs-)**_

_

* * *

_

It was a pretty night. Stars shining, the moon glowing luminously, very beautiful.

Percy and Annabeth was on one of the hills, overlooking the ocean, playing with a beach ball and just laughing at nothing in particular. The others were at the amphitheater, smoking some smores and singing campfire songs.

"Here, Percy!" Annabeth laughed, tossing the ball lightly in the sea-child's direction. The ball bounced sideways and rolled, with Percy trotting quickly after it. Then the ball was stopped by something. Namely, _someone's_ foot.

Hearing Annabeth's surprised gasp behind him, Percy raised his sea-green eyes to meet electric blue ones.

"Who awe you?" Percy blurted out before thinking of stopping himself.

The moon seemed to surround the girl's figure even more brightly.

"My name's Thalia." The daughter of Zeus answered.

****

"Holy acorns- Thalia!!" Grover bleated in joy as he saw the stormy girl.

"Easy Grover, easy. We don't want you to have a spazz attack, now do we?" Thalia chuckled, holding out her arms to hug the goat-boy.

Chiron walked forward, in his centaur form, smiling warmly. "Ah, Thalia, welcome back, dear hero." He greeted. Thalia smiled. "It's good to see you too, Chiron."

Annabeth was beaming. "Thalia! I didn't know you would come!"

"Lady Artemis had to go off on her own for a little while, and she ordered us Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood." The hunter shrugged. "So we're pretty much stuck here for a bit. Not that I'm not happy! I am." While everyone was situated at the Mess hall, laughing or eating, the Hunter girls scooting away from doting satyr boys, Percy sat on a wooden blue chair, drinking some coca-cola and musing a bit. It was a tiring day after all…

"So, the kid's Percy." A voice said.

Percy looked up to meet Thalia's gaze. "And the bwig gwirl's Thawia." The munchkin once again said without thinking. He didn't know why, but the scene, the punk looking girl, seem so _familiar…_

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it is." She cocked her head to aside a bit. "And why are you talking like that? I thought all 5-year old midgets could speak properly with their 'L's'?"

Percy glared. "And why do you wea a cwown?" The little kid snapped. Everything went silent. The demigods, satyrs, mortal, Cyclops, and Hunters could actually see the rival sparks flashing between the two children of the Big Three's eyes. They held their breaths.

Thalia sported a sardonic but playful grin. "I think me and you are going to get along just fine." And Percy couldn't help but silently agree.

****

'_Great. They're back in town.'_ Nico bitterly thought, scowling at innocent random Hunters. The moon girls nervously scooted away from the pale boy.

'_And now with Jackson turned into a midget…'_

"Can you gimme a napkwin?" A little, but fierce voice asked.

Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. It was Percy. Nico stared in bewilderment for a second. _'How the-?'_

"Can you gimme a napkwin?" Percy repeated, looking up at the death boy and holding out his small hand.

Reality came back, and Nico scowled even more. "Get it yourself!" The pale boy barked, knocking Percy's hand away and stalking off out the door. Percy stared at Nico's receding back in surprise and…in hurt?

****

After a few days passed. In those few days, when Percy tried to ask, or even tried to talk to Nico, the shadowy boy just glared at him in anger and walk away. The sea-child had enough.

At breakfast one morning, Percy set his utensils down hard, and spun on Nico. "Why awe you mad at me?" He demanded. Conversations stopped and all watched the scene with curiosity. Nico was silent before he stood up and walked away.

"Hey! Ansa me!" Percy shouted, leaping down from his chair and stopped only when the other boy stopped. "Why? Why do you hate me so much?"

Nico glared at the ground and tried to control his anger. "Leave me alone." He said lowly. But Percy wouldn't give up.

"Not untiw you telw me why!" The munchkin demanded again, his eyes the size of cat slits.

"What do you not get of leave. Me. Alone." Nico hissed, punctuating each word with a venomous tone.

Percy just frowned back and persistently said again, "Telw me fiwst! Why awe you mad at me? What did I do?"

Hearing the words '_What did I do?'_, Nico finally had it. Turning around so quickly that he made Percy jump back a little, he yelled, "**YOU** KILLED MY SISTER!!"

His words echoed around the room as the shock intensified. "W-what?" Percy whispered, taking a step back, but his legs shook so much that he fell down on his knees.

"You killed Bianca." Nico seethed, taking a step closer. "You promised that you would protect her, keep her safe, and I believed you!"

A sharp pain went through Percy's head, as he stared up at Nico, terror and sadness showing in his big eyes.

Nico went on ranting, oblivious to Percy's dilemma. "You made me a promise. I trusted you. And look what happens? Bianca's dead…and it's your fault."

This time, Percy crouched low, gasping and clutching at his skull, pain shooting everywhere like fireworks. '_What-?'_ But the pain didn't stop Nico's next words.

"It's your fault…you killed my sister." Nico declared in finality. Dead silence. Percy was still, not gasping or twitching anymore. Seeing the 5-year old's wide, shocked eyes, Nico turned around feeling…guilty? He shook his head as he walked away. _'I shouldn't feel like this! He's the one that killed my sister!'_ But the thought felt wrong.

"I'm sorry." Someone whispered.

Nico stopped short and stiffened up before turning around to meet the one who spoke. His eyes widened.

"I'm sorry." Percy repeated again, sadness and guilt lacing his whispers. This Percy looked and sounded different. Though his form is still that of a child's, his voice and eyes seem to be older than a 5-year old…like he was the 15-year old Percy Jackson again.

Everyone was stupefied. "P-Percy?" Annabeth whispered, leaning forward to see her friend.

Percy kept his head down, ignoring everything, everyone, until he raised it to meet the eyes of the child of Hades.

"Nico…I'm truly sorry. I'm sorry for everything. For breaking the promise…and letting Bianca go to her death. I'm sorry."

The older sounding Percy waited for Nico's response. He didn't have long.

Nico hesitated, then…

"Lies." Nico stated, glaring at the small figure before running out into the night.

****

People are afraid of the dark. Menacing, cold, who would find solace? Nico would. He had to. It was his only refuge, home, and something that is a part of him. It's where he's expected to belong.

"Why the hell do I feel guilty? He's the one that ruined my life!" Nico snarled, throwing pebbles in the flowing creek. He was in the woods alone, sitting on a boulder.

"My life's ruined because my sister died! He's the cause of it! It's his entire fault!" Nico threw a larger rock this time, making a splash before slumping down on his knees. "It's his fault, all his…"

"He tried to protect her."

Nico craned his neck and met Thalia's silvery form. "But she died. That still doesn't change anything."

Thalia stepped a little closer, her face sad and serious. "He still tried, Nico. He tried his best."

"Well, he should've tried harder!" Nico yelled, jumping to his feet to meet the immortal huntress. "He should've tried more than his best! I wish he should've died instead of Bianca!" His voice cracked, and he had a guilty look, but Nico stood firm.

"You don't really mean that, Nico." A sad voice came, along with a translucent figure.

"B-Bianca?" Nico breathed, staring at his deceased sister.

Bianca smiled sadly. "Only me."

With a joyful yell, Nico ran to his sister with his arms wide open, but all he met was cold, misty air. He stopped and unwilling tears came to his eyes. "No…"

"I'm dead, Nico. You have to accept that." Bianca answered, reaching out a pale hand to as if brush his hair away. Thalia watched the scene with a quiet air.

Nico pulled away and shook his head. "No! Why? Bianca, why didn't you answer me all those months? Why did you leave me?"

Bianca floated a little closer. "Nico-"

"Why did you have to _die??"_ Nico screamed. "Why did you have to die for them?! For Percy Jackson?! WHY?"

"It was my choice." Bianca whispered, sadly watching her younger brother. "I wanted to protect them all. I chose to go. Percy tried to stop me. But I wouldn't let him. I wanted him to stay alive for me…to protect you."

Nico recoiled. "I don't need and _protecting."_ He hissed. "Least of all, from _him."_

His sister smiled a small smile. "I'm sorry that I left you to join the Hunters. But I wanted it. I wanted to be something more, Nico. I wanted to have friends. I wanted to be more than be just an older sister. I wanted…to just be Bianca di Angelo."

Nico shook his head some more. "But…you still died." He whispered.

"People never liked us, remember Nico? But on that quest, everyone was so nice. The helped and protected me. They accepted me for who I am. And I…I wanted to show them my thanks." Bianca said, her form wavering.

"And dying is your way of showing thanks?!" Nico shouted, stomping his feet.

Bianca smiled sadly again. "If I could turn back time, Nico," She said softly. "Maybe I would've not join the Hunters, go on the quest, or died. But I can't change it. And…I don't think I want to either. Percy…he was willing to die so that we could get away. He showed me…courage. I didn't want him to die. He tried to stop me from going, but I didn't listen. He tried his best, but it was my choice. You can't blame him, Nico. It's my fault, not his,"

"No, don't say that, Bianca! It's not your fault!" Nico exclaimed, trying to believe what he said but failing.

Bianca closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. "A child of Hades shouldn't hold a grudge, Nico. It's dangerous."

"Bianca…" Nico whispered, reaching out once again.

"Nico," Bianca started, her ghostly form fading. "Take care…and I love you." With that, she faded into mist.

The forest glade fell into the shadows once more as the ghost of Bianca faded back to the Underworld. All was quiet as Thalia detached herself from a tree to stand next to Nico's kneeling form. Nico's eyes held an empty look, as he watched the spot that his sister disappeared to.

Finally Thalia spoke. "You know what you have to do." Silence. Then…

Nico stood up, this time with a fiery, brighter, but determined look, mixed with a little hint of guilt. "I do."

****

Annabeth ran frantically around, panicking. She grabbed a random camper by the shoulder and asked, "Do you know where Percy is?! Have you seen him?!" The ruffled camper shook his head and she let go, running off to interrogate someone else.

Rachel worriedly searched the camp, looking for her midget friend. Grover nervously chewed on tin cans as Juniper pat his back, her complexion greener than usual. Tyson went around, lifting up random rocks and boulders, whimpering for his big-but-turned-small-brother.

The sea-child was no where to be found.

****

The waves crashed on the shore as the seagulls squawked their nasally cries. A small, salty breeze ruffled his hair as his dark eyes searched the shoreline. A movement caught his gaze, and he was rewarded with a small figure, curled up on a sand dune.

Nico silently slid down the small rock cliff, quietly walking toward Percy, the sand muffling his footsteps. As he came closer, the moonlight shone from the clouds and shine luminous rays on the munckin's face.

Dried tearstains left trails down Percy's face, his lip were raw from being bitten too hard to muffle his cries, and his eyes held lonely, sad emptiness. The little kid was curled tightly in a small ball, arms around knobby knees.

A few moments later, Nico arrived and lightly knelt down next to Percy. Feeling a small _whoosh _of air, the 5-year old turned around, and gasped.

"N-Nico?"

Said boy, scooted a little closer. "Percy-"

Percy squeaked and shuffled quickly away, wide eyes filled with shock and…fear?

Nico frowned in confusion. "What-?"

"No! No! I swaid I was sowwy!! I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy!" The midget bawled, holding himself protectively. "I-I-I sowwy!" He sounded like his regular 5-year old state again, but this time, in fear.

Nico's throat clenched. '_Was I…was I that hard on him?'_ The guilt slowly ate him inside. Nico reached and took Percy's thin wrists, pulling the small munchkin close, feeling the shivers the 5-year old was experiencing.

"I sowwy…" Percy whispered, trying to get away from the pale boy.

Surprising Percy and even himself, Nico pulled Percy and hugged the kid. "No Percy," Nico softly said. "I'm sorry."

Percy's eyes grew to the size of saucers. He looked up to meet Nico's dark eyes, and saw the truth and sincerity in them. "Wha…?"

Nico hugged him closer. "I'm sorry…I was blind and stupid. When Bianca died, I was angry, so angry that I had to blame someone. I blamed you, when actually; you were trying to keep her safe…" A ghost of a smile ran over the child of Hades' pale lips. "I kept on lying to myself, clouding the truth and kept on hating…feeling angry because I was alone…but I was never alone. I had friends, like you. But I still pushed you away and blamed you…I'm…I'm sorry, Percy."

All was silent. Only the waves slapping the sand were the only sound. Nico closed his eyes. _'He's not going to forgive me…'_ Something hugged him and brought him from his thoughts.

"It's okay." Percy answered, clinging to the pale boy. "It's okay."

****

"I can't find Percy anywhere, Chiron." Annabeth muttered, clenching her fists as she sat down in the Big House.

Everyone was in the Big House, worried.

"I couldn't find him either." Grover whispered, looking teary-eyed. Chiron almost expected him to start eating the coffee table. The ancient trainer looked at the others who shook their heads. Desperately, he turned to the daughter of Zeus. She only shrugged.

"I don't know." Thalia simply said, though, she sounded like she was hiding something.

Chiron sighed, but then he realized something. "Wait. Where's N-"

The door suddenly opened, and said boy, stood in the doorway, holding a small figure in his arms. Everyone stared. "What?" Nico asked irritably. Then reality began again.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted joyously, arms out toward the small munchkin in the pale boy's arms.

Nico jerked out of the way with a growl. "He's still sleeping. Leave him alone a little bit, will you?" Nico moved again, and everyone could indeed see the sleeping 5-year old.

"Oh." Annabeth numbly said, watching Nico with wide shock eyes, as he walked around the wise girl and deposit Percy on one of the infirmary beds. Percy moaned at the lost of warmth but quieted down once again as Nico settled next to him, keeping a hand on his forehead. Thalia smirked.

"Uh…" Rachel coughed to break the silence. "Where was Percy anyway?"

Without taking his eyes off of the sea-child's slumbering form, Nico answered, "Near the beach."

Annabeth slapped her forehead and groaned. "Of course…"

All was silent again. Then Nico spoke up. "Chiron?"

The Centaur looked up. "Yes?"

Nico looked a little troubled, but he continued on. "I'm not really sure, but this morning when, um, well…Percy seemed to…change."

The inhabitants of the room gave him appalled looks. Nico felt a migraine coming on. "I mean, not physically change, like…he sounded like he was 15 again." Nico finished lamely. Everyone looked confused.

"Well," Chiron started. "I could check up on him. I couldn't do that because of all the distractions and such. I guess I'll do it now."

The horse-man trotted over where the sleeping 5-year old was sleeping, and felt his forehead. The effect was not what anyone expected.

Percy's eyes flew open and he began screaming in pain.

"What?!" Grover yelled, lunging over to Percy's side.

"Chiron!" Annabeth called. She quickly went over to him and grabbed his arm. "Chiron! What's going on??!!"

But the trainer didn't respond. He just stood still, eyes glassy and unblinking as he experience all the emotions.

****

Chiron materialized and he looked around him in confusion. "What?"

He seems to be…on some kind of beach or so, but everything and everyone was nowhere to be found besides the lapping ocean waves.

'_What? Where am I?' _Then Chiron figured it out. '_Wait…this is Percy's mind! What-?' _

Suddenly, Chiron felt sad. Then fear. '_What?'_ The trainer thought again, those emotions didn't belong to him. Then he felt pain. With a gasp, Chiron stumbled on his horse legs. He began to see a myriad of pictures and scenes.

Some with Annabeth, laughing. Others with Rachel drawing and Grover playing hackey-sack with a tin can. Another with Tyson playing Frisbee. But the most seen scenes were with Nico, though mostly filled with deep sadness, guilt, confusion, sincerity…and happiness?

And Chiron saw the mornings past, how Nico's yells hurt Percy to the core, and then…something happened. No one noticed, but the mindset changed. He saw an older looking Percy, 15 again in fact, then a small 3-year old, with messy black hair and big green eyes. Percy once again. Then to a 5-year old version of the son of Poseidon.

"Ch-Chiron…" The differently aged Percy's whispered. Chiron stepped back in alarm. "Percy?" The horse-man asked. The emotions swirled around him, muffling the sounds and everything he knew.

****

"-ron! Chiron!" A voice called out, and something clung to his shoulder.

Chiron blinked. He looked around to meet the eyes of the worried campers. "What? Did something happen?"

Annabeth gave him the 'No DUH' look.

****

5 minutes later, everyone settle down. Percy was once again asleep, though grimacing as he do so, with Nico by his side. The friends looked back at Chiron, silently asking him what had happen. Chiron sighed, then he began.

"I'm not exactly sure what had exactly happen, but I have my theories," Chiron started. "I suppose it had something to do with my blood, centaur blood with the blood of my father, Kronos."

Everyone winced as the Titan's name resonated around the room.

Chiron continued on, ignoring little distractions. "And with that notion, Percy's blood, must have reacted with mine, so that it linked our conscious together briefly, not permanently."

"Like our link?" Grover interrupted, looking confused. Chiron shook his head.

"No, my dear satyr. Your link with Percy is a link of little but strong mental contact. What just happened now is something that made us connect." The horse-man paused. "Connect to each other's mind, meaning I could feel and see what he's feeling and remembering."

The demigods/human/Cyclops/satyr looked surprised.

"What I've seen in Percy's mind," Chiron said. Every scooted closer to hear what he was saying. "It seems that, in this form, his mentality changed to those of a 3-year old, yet, when he experiences any kind of deep emotion, it triggers the age growth of his mind. You've seen this, I presume, this morning?" The trainer look pointedly at Nico. The pale boy shuffled his feet nervously.

"So Percy, if in deep emotion, could transform his mindset back to the 15-year old Percy we know, but I'm not so sure." Chiron said. "In his current state, we must protect Percy, understood?" The demigods nodded. Chiron allowed a small smile to grace his face. "Good. Dismissed."

As the demigods filed out the door, Chiron watched Nico and Percy closely as the pale boy gently lifted the 5-year old's body up. They walked out the door and Chiron followed, stopping at the doorway. Nico walked to Cabin 3, and a few moments later, the child of Hades strolled out this time without Percy and, though, no one noticed besides Chiron, he was smiling contently.

Chiron watched the form of Nico di Angelo walked into the Hermes cabin, and somehow, the horse-man felt a little relieved. '_Maybe…'_ The ancient trainer thought. '_Maybe Percy turning into a child was a good thing after all…' _Chiron expected that, starting the next morn, the bond of Nico and Percy would grow, making them inseparable.

He just didn't know how right he was.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**UnluckyWriter: (-collapses in chair-) Finally! This chapter is over! It took me a WEEK just to frickin type this all down! So sorry that this chapter didn't make any sense, I was pretty rushed and such. (-Sweat drop-) This is the longest thing I have written so far…I'm proud! And of my quick brainstorming too!! Yeah! But…this chapter is SO corny! Ugh! It makes me nauseas…yet it makes me smile…Oh well! Thanks for all you peoples reviews!! Stay tuned for my next chappie, and please review? You know you want too! =3**


	6. Innocence

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

_**Chapter 6: Innocence**_

**Pairing: LukeXPercy and others…and a small bit of NicoXPercy, folks. Hey, I can't help it! I love this pairing too! But I promise, it will turn out to be a LukeXPercy fic! Promise! So don't mob me! –Hides- And anyways, the NicoXPercy bits is brotherly love! Better?**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I actually own is the plot and the awesomeness of it! So there! Now leave me alone!**

**Note: At the bottom! Read it so you can finally have the legit reason to kill me! Well, maim me at least.**

**Warning: Contains YAOI and probably some YURI, some cursing and such. Major OOCness alert! Some SPOILERS! All flames will be used for roasting hot dogs and heating up my hot chocolate. Questions? No? Okay then, on with it!**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_**Monday, 9:00 AM**_

"We…Our spy have informed of a weak point in the demigod camp, sir," Ethan Nakamura murmured, head bowed as he waited for his master's next words.

Kronos leaned back in the rolling chair, a cold, satisfied smirk on his pale face.

"Good."

_**Wednesday, 12:05 PM**_

"Now Percy," Annabeth said seriously, while holding a neon green ruler in her right hand like a whipping stick. "What is 12 times 3?"

"Umm…36?" The 5-year old, sea-green eyed, kid said nervously, wondering when the torture would end.

A pause…

Then…

"Correct!" Annabeth smiled; face completely changing from the demonic, scholarly-looking person, into a nice, cheerful girl.

Percy slumped back into his seat, but then stiffened once again as the wise girl picked up a thick textbook and smiled more brightly.

"Now…" Annabeth started, flipping the book open and perusing through the pages. "Let's see…" She bit her lip. "I wish I didn't have dyslexia…" An infuriated pout as more mathematical papers were flipped.

Percy let out a breath in relief as he thanked gratefully to whoever up there gave them the gift of 'dyslexia'. Sure, it was a disadvantage at times, but this time, certainly, it was working out for him. Until he heard a boisterous "AHA", and saw the maniacal (evil) smile on his friend's face.

And that's how Nico di Angelo found them when he entered the Athena cabin: a scared-looking, 5-year old Percy Jackson, with a smirking Annabeth Chase holding a mother-of-gigantic textbook, while standing in the middle of the bunk-bedroom-changed-into-school style room, surrounded by high stacks of even more high stacks college-looking textbooks.

The shadow boy was surprised when he felt protective over Percy all of a sudden; just because of the latter's terrified expression. But that feeling was pushed aside in the back of his mind when, instead of _protecting_, he could just _destroy_ the main object that injected that much fear into Percy, and finally be done with it. And taking the sea-green eyed munchkin for himself was a bonus, too, so yeah…

The ultimate perfect plan for any 12-13 year old was immediately shot down as he saw the main object he was suppose to destroy: Annabeth Chase.

Nico gulped.

Yes folks, Nico di Angelo, the mean, emo-ish, scary, son of the ruler of the Underworld, Hades, gulped when he caught sight of the daughter of Athena.

Sure, he battled really scary monsters and hanged out with the _**dead **_for most of his time, but a demonic, wannabe-teacher, wise-cracking, smarty, highly intelligent, and an expert knife-thrower/fighter named Annabeth Chase was _waaaaaay_ outta his league.

"What are you guys doing?" Nico asked politely with no expression, figuring that that question was better than, '_What the (_Insert your choice of curse words here)_ are you doing to torture the little kid?' _

Annabeth and Percy turned to face the newcomer, and the younger of the duo's face brightened like Apollo's teeth itself.

"Nico!"

The boy in mention grunted in exertion as a flying orange-shirted blur flew dramatically in his arms.

"Annabeth is torture- err- I mean, she's teaching me!" Percy babbled quickly, fearing that the honey-blonde girl would hear his slip of tongue.

"Whoa, whoa," Nico cut in, before realization kicked in. "Hey, your speech's more clear now, Percy. How-?"

"My hand of course," Annabeth said smoothly, holding the answer in her hands as she walked over to the two boys, hand reaching out to stroke Percy's raven locks. "Chiron said that deep emotion triggers his mind growth, right? Well, I had my own theory." She held up a college textbook.

Nico stared at it cryptically. "A college math book?"

Annabeth sighed. "I know. I asked for a higher level math book, but Chiron said the library didn't have any at the moment, so-"

"No, no," Nico interrupted while shaking his head, Percy mimicking his action. "I meant, how can a math book help Percy?"

"Oh," Annabeth blinked. "Oh. Sorry. Okay, after what Chiron said, an idea just popped into my mind! I remembered how the teacher's in school all use to say that learning is how our mind grows, so I asked Chiron could get me all levels of math books from one the New York public libraries. And for 4 hours now, Percy and I have been going through Pre-K math books to 11th grade to see if it could help." She smiled, but it fell a little. "Going through the books and countless math problems made him really happy, so it made his speech tremendously better! But the emotion wasn't strong enough to make him remember…" She sighed and flipped open the textbook, gray eyes skimming the particular page she chose.

Nico stared at the child of Athena for a while and felt a great sense of pity for Percy. **4 HOURS** of **MATH?**? And college math problems? That had to be some kind of sick, twisted torture. Staring into Percy's wide eyes, Nico wondered if Annabeth had somehow mixed horror and happiness up, because, if he was Percy, horror was a _very_ effective way to make the mind grow. Math may be the true language of the world **(1)**, and it may be precise and always right, but it was a very confusing and brain-hurting of a language, and Nico di Angelo would rather speak _English_, the language he understood fully, please.

"Aha!" Annabeth suddenly exclaim, causing Nico and Percy to face her as she grinned. "Now Percy…what's the answer to: _**f (x) = -9x + 3**_?" **(2)**

Even Nico turned white at the seemingly innocent math problem.

"Erm…" Percy gulped. "Uh, Annabeth? Can, uh…..can class be dismissed? Please?"

Annabeth frowned. "Percy, I am doing this for your own good, so class is-"

Rachel Dare poked her red head in the Athena cabin. "Hi guys! It's lunch so-"

"Dismissed," Annabeth finished coolly, before stalking out of her cabin, bumping her shoulders with Rachel's roughly.

The mortal girl stared at the receding back, before asking, "What's with her?"

Nico and Percy just shrugged.

"Well, it's time for lunch, so yea, you guys…eat…" Rachel distractedly said, obviously troubled, as she walked out the door.

Silence…

"Why does Annabeth hate Rachel?" Percy asked Nico, hugging the taller boy's neck as they too, strolled out the door.

"I really don't know Percy…" Nico answered, walking toward the mess hall.

Percy frowned, and it was obvious that he really didn't like his friends hating each other. "How can I make Annabeth and Rachel friendly toward each other?"

Nico shrugged lightly. "Perce, they hate each other- wait, I mean, _Annabeth_ hated Rachel since the first time they met, Rachel just wondered why. So I'm not really the best person to provide great plans to get those two to like each other…"

Percy pursed his lips, eyebrows furrowed in a thoughtful expression. "Hey Nico…"

"Yeah?"

The munchkin grinned. "Can we have a picnic by the beach? We're gonna make plans!"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The sound of waves crashing merrily against the sand accompanied the duo as they walked over a sand dune, Nico holding a basket of food while Percy held the drink cooler and blanket.

They tried inviting their other friends to join their picnic, but Annabeth was busy cleaning up her cabin, Tyson was with Beckendorf making weapons for the up-coming Capture the Flag game, Grover was occupied by a lecturing Juniper, and Rachel was dazedly busy with her art.

Talk about preoccupied…

"First off, we have to lure them to the same place, and somehow trap them," Percy mused, already making his 'Get Annabeth to not hate Rachel anymore' plans. "The woods? One of the cabins? The stables? What about a closet?"

Nico choked. If Percy was still 15, those plans would sound _dead_ wrong, but out of a 5-year old's mouth? Those seemingly innocent words make it sound even worse.

"Uh, Percy? Don't you think that's overboard?"

Hearing no reply, the shadow boy turned around and looked at the younger boy. "Percy?"

Following his smaller companion's suddenly petrified gaze, Nico could see a lone figure to his right, back facing them while standing ankle-deep in the water, the blue waves lapping softly.

Without warning, Percy dashed to the figure, dropping the objects as he went, gold sand flying from his quick bare feet.

"Wait- Percy- stranger danger!" Was all Nico could get out, before he, too, drop his stuff and ran after his friend, intent on protecting him from whatever or whoever it was. "Wait!"

Reaching the child seconds later, the shadow boy was about to grab the latter when one word stopped him short.

"Father."

Nico frozed where he stood, and looked up to meet the slightly sad face of Poseidon, the god of the sea…and Percy Jackson's dad. Poseidon was dressed in a Hawaiian flowered shirt, and khaki pants.

"Uh…"

"Hello Percy," Poseidon greeted softly, not noticing the child of Hades. "How are you?"

Stony silence met the question.

To Nico, the God of the sea seem to wilt a little more as he watched his son's hard, grim face. Looking at Percy's 5-year old face and tense figure, the little kid didn't look so young and innocent, like before. Percy looked older, tired and weary, yet, he looked so…angry and sad.

Of all the times Nico could remember of Percy meeting Poseidon, the two was respectfully friendly toward each other. But that was when Percy was older. The Percy when he still had a slight grudge against his father for leaving, but let it go when he understood the reason why. Now that he was transformed into a younger person, he had the mind like a child, asking questions that didn't have answers, grudges and feelings of loneliness when he wondered why he didn't have a father like other kids, wondering why he wasn't normal.

Nico could still vaguely remember the first time he asked Bianca about their parents.

**~~~~~Flasback~~~~~**

"_Shoot the alien! Shoot it!" _

"_I'm trying, calm down, Nic!" Bianca said, giggling giddily as she waved her orange plastic gun. _

_Nico jumped up and down, clapping his hands as he ignored random people walking past him, them intent on playing more amazing games in the Lotus Casino. _**(3) **

"_Yes!" Bianca shrieked, "I won! Take that, alien!" _

_As his older sister congratulates herself, Nico took a quick look around. _

_It was just like any other look that the younger boy tossed around each day, nothing special or new. But this time, his dark eyes noticed something small._

"_Hey Bianca," the little boy greeted, tugging on his sister's shirt sleeve._

"_Hmm?"_

"_Where are those kid's parents?" Nico asked, wrinkling his nose as he pointed to a group of juvenile delinquents playing a cop- gun happy game. "And where are ours? Why haven't we ever seen our momma and daddy? Did they go somewhere?"_

_Bianca frowned a little as she tried to remember. "I…I don't know, Nico. I just don't know…"_

_That news unsettled Nico. Where are their parents? Why were they alone? Why did their mom and dad leave them alone?_

_Nico felt angry at the last question, but then Bianca pulled him away to play a different game and he forgot everything that just happened._

**~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~**

"Do you remember me?" Poseidon asked, shaking Nico from his flashback. "Do you know who I am?"

The shadow boy expected Percy to stay silent, but the latter proved him wrong.

"I know who you are," Percy said, eyes dark. "But remember? How can I remember when you were never around to create memories?"

"No," the God replied, taken back at the sudden anger. "I meant…do you remember when you were 15? Anything at all?"

"You know what?" Percy yelled, surprising the other 2 people. "You're just like everyone else! 'Do you remember this?' 'Do you remember that?' Why do I always have to remember? What's so special about me remembering things? Is that all I'm good for? What about me? The 'me' right now? Why can't you just accept me as I am? What's wrong with it?"

Percy stopped his rant and took a breath, tense figure shaking. Nico took his eyes off of the sea child for a second and notice that the waves were now pounding the sand, blue water angrily churning.

'_I never knew Percy felt this way…' _Nico thought guiltily, staring at the erratic ocean. '_We've been trying so hard to force him to remember, but we never thought about how he felt about it…'_

Without a doubt, Poseidon was feeling guilty too. "Percy, let me explain-"

"NO!" Percy yelled, stomping his foot like a small child (in a way, he is, literally), "No more adult explanations! Now _you_ listen to _me_!" 

With shaking breathes, Percy pointed a finger accusingly at his father, right at the God's heart. "You…what do you know about me? Huh? What do you know? Do you know that Mommy cried alone when she thought no one was looking at night? Do you know how my mother worked so hard, just to support me! Have you _ever_ met _Smelly Gabe?_ Least of all, _live with him?_ Me and Mom did! We were stuck with him 'cause my Mom love me so much! She didn't want me to be killed 'cause I was the child of a freaking God of the Sea, who left his mortal lover because he was afraid!"

By this time, Percy was sitting on the ground, hands covering his face as he sobbed out tears. The little kid kept on remembering as he babbled, body violently trembling, not withstanding the emotions as it tore him apart, his future self fighting against his forgotten childhood grudge, not knowing which side to choose.

Nico began moving toward Percy, intent on comforting him, but Poseidon beat him to the punch. The God embraced his son, hugging him loosely, but strongly, as Percy snarled and cried, wanting to get away.

"Get away from me, you, you- stranger!" Percy screamed, punching his dad's arms with the typical 5-year old strength. "Let me go and go away! Like you've always done!"

"I can't," Poseidon said sadly, holding on his struggling child. "You're my son, and I'm your father…I should start acting like it."

At that sentence, Percy frozed a little, before going limp, depending on his dad's arms to hold him up. "Have you ever wondered how I felt? How lonely I was? All the other kids think I'm not normal, 'cause while they have a real mommy and daddy, I only had a real mommy and Smelly Gabe. Mommy always said that you were lost, lost at sea… I guess she was right, you were lost…to me."

Percy was silent for a moment, before continuing in a whisper, like he was about to share a big secret. "When my birthday comes, and Mommy gives me the blue cake with the candles, I had to blow out the fire fast and get the first slice, before Smelly Gabe and his poker buddies steal it…with every birthday, cake and candles…I would make a wish... I would wish for Mommy and me to leave Smelly Gabe…but I guess that wish was a lie, because what I really wished for…was that you would come back."

Silence…

"I'm sorry, Percy," Poseidon said, softly. "I'm sorry I made you and your mother sad, I'm sorry you were stuck with Gabe Ugliano **(4)**, I'm sorry I didn't go to any of your birthday's, and I'm sorry for many things…but most of all, I'm sorry I couldn't have been a better father."

Percy stared at the God a little bit, before a small smile graced his small face. It wasn't a big smile, or even a half- smile. It was a minute-sized one, a smile barely noticeable, but it gave Poseidon a little hope.

"Not a bad apology," the sea-child murmured, sea-green eyes slowly closing. "I forgive…but…it's going to be a long time before I forget…Dad."

Watching his child sleep, Poseidon felt his lips curved into a relieved smile, and he hugged Percy gently. "I guess that's good enough…even for a God."

With that last word, Poseidon beckoned quietly to Nico, and the child of Hades came a little closer, a bit wary.

"Nico di Angelo," the God announced solemnly. "Do you have the courage and patience to protect Percy for me?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Nico answered, boldly locking eyes with his friend's father.

A smile twitched on Poseidon's face. "Fair enough."

The Greek God looked out at his now calm domain, eyes distant and tired, small smile now gone. "It is a difficult time, child of Hades, alliances are shifting, and walls are breaking. Kronos is steadily getting stronger, and Olympus will soon be in danger."

Nico shifted, getting more uneasy at the bad news.

"Sir, why are you telling me all this?"

Poseidon paused, hesitating, before he turned and faced the shadow boy. "Because I think Percy is going to be the one in the prophecy."

As if answering at the sound of his name, the person in mention gave a muffled yawn, and stretched a little in his father's arms, before settling back to sleep.

"I know," the God continued. "That the big prophecy could apply to you, too. But…my instincts tell me it is going to be my son…and I don't like it. My instincts are never wrong. I came here today to see if Percy still had any memories of when he was 15…but I lied to myself…what I was really after was to see if my own child was still loyal to our side."

Poseidon looked bitterly ashamed at himself. "To tell the truth, I never really knew my child. A few glimpses here and there, but he remained a mystery to his own father. When he was 12, I could sense a little wariness, but happiness as well. And up until now, I never sensed any ill-will toward me, just respect. Seeing him like this, made me open my eyes. The strength of his grudge, his loathing, shocked me deeply. I was astounded, angry. 'How dare my own son, regardless of age, scream at me? A God? One that hasn't done anything wrong!' But… I did do something wrong. I see his grudge against me, and I understood. I caused his and his mother's pain. I left him alone, and didn't help him. He felt betrayed. Felt more so when at the age 12, he was claimed as my son…only to be used to clear my name."

"But…" Nico ventured. "Doesn't he know why you left him alone? You had to do it, before he was born; you made a vow on the Styx with your brothers, to never have anymore kids. How can he not understand?"

"Of course Percy knows. He probably understands it better than anyone…but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Haven't you ever wondered where your parent or parents were? Why you weren't like any other normal, happy children? When you wonder, and think deeper into that question, it creates frustration, and then…resentment. 'Why don't I have a father?' 'Why don't I have a mother?' They asked, always wondering, but never knowing."

Nico frozed up at the God's words, knowing exactly what Poseidon was talking about.

Seeing the realization on the child of Hades face, Poseidon gave a bitter smile. "Now you remember."

Shifting Percy to a more comfortable position, Poseidon said, "I never want to make that mistake again. I once told Percy it might've been better if he wasn't born, that he was a mistake…and it was. But…I'm glad for this one mistake. Regrets are over, I have to move on. This time though…I would like to be there for my son in his childhood. His accident may be seen as unfortunate…but I also see it as a second chance that is too good to not take."

Poseidon gently handed the slumbering Percy to Nico's waiting arms. "Take good care of him, child of Hades."

"Yes, sir."

The God paused, and then he reached into his khaki pants and fished something out. It was a small, hand-carved, red coral albatross. **(5)**

"Give this to Percy when he wakes up will you?" Poseidon asked. "When he needs help the most, he'll know what to do."

"Wha-" Nico started to say, before he saw the slightly demanding look from the sea God. Without a word, the shadow boy took the tiny albatross.

"Thank you," Poseidon said, stroking Percy's raven locks. "Goodbye Percy, Nico."

And with that last word, the God disappeared in a wind of sea mist.

Nico stared at where Poseidon had just stood, before a small tug brought him back to reality.

"Is it too late to make the plans?" Percy yawned, rubbing his eyes drowsily.

Nico stayed quiet, until a slight grin appeared on his pale face. "Nah, we haven't even eaten yet."

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_**Thursday, 2:48 PM**_

"Hey! Hey! Hey Annabeth!"

Annabeth Chase turned around, greeting Percy, smiling. "Hi Percy!"

The child of Athena waited for the munchkin to catch up, then the 2 started walking together away from the volleyball courts.

"Watcha up to?" Percy asked, a little too innocently as he clasped his hands behind his back.

Hearing the too innocent tone, Annabeth narrowed her gray eyes. "Nothing…"

"Good!" The 5-year old yelled jubilantly. He quickly grabbed her hand and started dragging her toward the woods. "Come on!"

"Wait, what?" The wise-girl yelped, trying her best to keep up with the hyperactive kid. "Wait!"

"Hmm?" Even the sea-green eyes looked innocent!

"W-where are we going?" Annabeth asked, slightly stumbling over her words as she halted to a stop.

"The woods," Was Percy's curt reply, as he impatiently tried to shove his taller friend toward the stated destination. "Come on!"

"Why?"

"You really wanna know?" Percy asked, a glint in his eyes.

Even though the blonde felt a sudden sense of foreboding, she pressed on determinedly. "Yes, please."

With a big grin, Percy proudly said, with small hand waves, "Hide-and-seek!"

Annabeth stared. "Hide-and-seek?"

"Yeah!" Was the cheerful reply.

Without a word, the older girl turned tail and began strolling quickly toward her cabin. "Uh, sorry Percy, I'm busy at the moment, so maybe later…?"

"Hey, hey! No! Don't go!"

Percy in his current form came up only to the honey-haired girl's thigh, but that didn't stop him from running quickly after her and clinging onto her leg like a lifeline. "Come on, Annabeth! Play with me!"

"I'm sorry, Percy, but I have work…"

"You just told me that you weren't doing anything."

"…"

"Yeah, I thought so. Come on, what's so wrong with hide-and-seek? Play with me!"

"But it's a _child's_ game! And I'm a _teenager_. Teenagers have work to do. No play. Sorry."

"But…" Percy's lip trembled, and his eyes looked a bit watery. "But…you just said you had nothing to do…and-and I just want you to play hide-and-seek with me…"

"Percy…" Annabeth pursed her lip. The 'kicked-puppy' look was winning. "Okay! Will anyone be there?"

A mega-watt smile shined on the kid's face. "Yay! And nope."

"Okay. I'll play, just…don't tell the others about this, okay? Because…"

"Because…?"

"I don't know. Because I said so? There."

"Okay, okay. Let's just go!"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_**5 Minutes Later…**_

Annabeth knew she was set up when she entered the small glade and saw the awaiting ring-of-people and…_her._

"Percy! You lied to me!" The blonde accused, slightly glaring down at the smirking 5-year old. "You said that there won't be anyone else around!"

Percy quickly made a speedy escape and hid behind Nico, peeking his raven head out. "You lied to me first!"

"But I confessed soon after!"

"Nu-uh! You only did so after I unleashed my 'hurt-puppy dog' look!"

"So you admit you have a 'puppy dog' look!"

"Hey-"

"Okay, guys!" Grover intervened, putting one hand up in the air like a referee. "Let's stop this…chaos, and start the game, please. Or I'll get a migraine! Yeah, you don't like it when satyrs get migraines…" Juniper patted his arm reassuringly.

"What _were_ you guys fighting about, anyways?" Rachel blankly asked, right hand scratching a freckled cheek. **(6)**

"None of your business!" Annabeth snarled, glaring icily at the red-head, attention diverted away from Percy. Rachel flinched at the glacier-like glare.

The little 5-year old gave Nico a discreet glance, and the shadow boy nodded.

"It's time to play," the child of Hades said emotionlessly, clapping pale hands together to get the group's attention. "Hide-and-seek."

"Wait, wait, I'm not playing!" The blonde of the lot protested, waving a hand. "I quit! I give up!"

"There will be 2 seekers, and the rest will be the ones to hide," Nico continued, ignoring the yells. "The last one that is found wins, while the first ones found; the losers have to do the dishes."

Athena's child perked up her ears. "Dishes? Losers?" This was sounding a bit more interesting…

Nico moved his head in a nod in a bored way. "Yeah. Losers have to take the winners dish chores for the night. Deal?"

Annabeth thought it over, before nodding in resignation. The bargain was just too good. Gods, all the times she had to wash dishes and muffle squeals of pain as the spray lava the harpies made them use to clean the plates and bowels burn some of her exposed skin…

"Okay!" Percy announced, leaping out from his hiding place (A.K.A behind Nico's leg), "Let's play! But first…"

The 5-year old stuck a fist out. "We gotta play rock-paper-scissors to decide the seeker, heh heh…"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"1…2…3…"

Panting, Annabeth sprinted, hearing Percy and Nico's loud counting reverberating around the woods.

After many rounds of rock-paper-scissors, Percy himself finally won, but suddenly, the child insisted that he needed a partner to help him, since he can't run as fast and that the camp woods were enormous, so he chose Nico.

'_Strangely, this game feels rigged…' _Annabeth thought uneasily, but then Zeus's Fist came into view and she forgot what she was so uneasy about, not knowing how right she was…

Annabeth came upon the gigantic sized boulders, and swerved to the side, intent on hiding in some mysterious large crack and for her own _mother's_ sake, to _**win,**_ when all of a sudden, just when she founded a decent sized fissure, a red color flashed, and Annabeth was met with a feminine face facing her own.

"Oh, hi Annabeth," Rachel airily said, acting as if she and the blond were always on good terms and knew each other pretty well, and waved. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth frozed, her jaw slightly unhinged into an 'O' of disbelief. Why was she _**always**_ meeting up with this daydreaming mortal at the _**wrong**_ times possible?

"I should be asking you that question," Annabeth finally growled out, glaring venomously. "Get out! This is _my _hiding spot and I intend on _winning,_ thank you very much."

Hearing that, Rachel frowned herself, her expression showing a bit of anger for the first time. "Excuse _me?_ As you can see here, I was here _first_, and I _found_ this place _first_, so I think I call the dibs on the hiding spots!"

Annabeth stepped back as if slapped, than she stalked closer and roughly pushed the redhead. "Get out," she hissed darkly, fair face close to Rachel's freckled one. "You don't even belong in Camp Half-Blood, so you have no right to claim anything here in this land. You're just one normal_ mortal_ with eyes that could only see past the Mist!"

"Wha-?" Rachel spluttered, cheeks an angry red. Then she recomposed herself and in turn, pushed Annabeth out of the fissure into the outside world. "Shut up! I have every right to be here! Just 'cause you're so smart doesn't mean you have to be such a bitch about it!"

Silence. Pure, thick, silence. The birds and insects weren't even making a peep.

Annabeth stared. Then her face began to change to a mottled purple color.

Bringing one hand up to her mouth, Rachel realized what she just _**screamed**_ out and widened her eyes in horror at the fact that she just called one of the people who _**hated**_ her for no apparent reason and possibly want to decapitate her with a _familiar_ bronze-celestial _knife_, a _'bitch'._

Shit.

She was screwed to Tartarus and back.

With an animalistic scream, Annabeth Chase lunged and tackled the stupefied red-haired girl into the narrow crack, hoping that the impact would slam Rachel against the boulder and somehow hurt her.

Rachel was not slammed against the boulder. In fact, there was no rock wall in the narrow fissure. Instead, there was open, stale air, and a_ pit._

The two girls shrieked in surprise and terror as Newton's Law of Gravity took effect.

They fell, tumbling haphazardly around as the light from the hole seemingly closed up like a door, the darkness melting around their forms with inky relish. With cries of pain, the two finally fell onto a brick-like floor, rolling like bowling pins before stopping.

A few moments passed before Annabeth finally opened her eyes (futile in seeing anything, cause really, it was **pure darkness**), noting that she didn't have any broken bones, only bruises. With a shaky breath, the wise girl stood, dusting dirt off her clothes.

A small cough alerted her and she remembered who she was in the same predicament with.

'_Oh, Gods…__**her.'**_

A pregnant pause went by before Rachel managed out, "Wh-what-where are we?"

Annabeth decided to ignore the _annoying_ mortal, and began feeling around the place, hands landing on stone-brick-dirt walls. Where was she? In a corridor?

Sounds of shuffling, a slight sneeze, before the red-head's voice rang out again.

"Where are we, Annabeth?"

"How the Hades should I know?" Athena's child snapped, glaring blindly in the darkness. "I'm actually trying to find a way out of here, and since you're doing nothing, why don't you _shut up_?"

Silence.

Hearing no other response from the mortal, Annabeth felt her heart go heavy, before she went back to her wall-inspecting, cursing herself for feeling strangely guilty.

Then she felt _breathing_ on the back of her neck.

"Tell me what you're doing so I can help, too," Rachel said softly, unseen hand on the blond girl's shoulder.

Annabeth frozed before she spun around and slapped the other female's appendage away. "Don't you _dare_ touch me," she seethed, backing up a little, shirt-clad back hitting the wall.

In the darkness, Rachel frowned. Reaching out, she gripped the demigod by the arm and jerked her closer, tone now slightly darker.

"Okay, why the hell do you hate me so much?" The red-head exclaimed heatedly, grip tightening. "What have I ever done to deserve your anger? I mean, like seriously? I don't recall doing _anything_ to piss you off this much!"

"Shut up!" Annabeth growled, arm struggling in the other's grasp. "You- you don't understand- you—"

"What don't I understand?" Rachel roared, letting go of the blond girl's arm unexpectedly. "That I'm not like you guys? Half-bloods? Yeah, I got that pretty _clearly_ on day one. That I'm a freak 'cause I can see things no other mortal can? Yeah, I got that, too. But why do _you_ hate _me?_ Why?" Rachel's last word turned into a desperate, confused whisper. "All…all I wanted was for me and you to be friends. So why do you hate me?"

No other sound besides the two's harsh breathing. Feeling a pang go through her chest, Rachel sighed, knowing that the Athenian girl will never respond to the likes of herself, spoke, "Okay, just forget what just happened and let's at least look for a way outta—"

"I hated you because I _liked_ Percy."

The red-head's breath hitched in her throat. "W-what?"

Shuffling noises were heard, and the artist could imagine that the brainiac girl was fidgeting uncomfortably.

"The first time I met you, you were with Percy, together, and…I got jealous. I had a crush on him then, and seeing you two together, so close, so…familiar, got to me."

Rachel couldn't believe her ears. Of all the things she expected in her short life, Annabeth confessing her reasons in hating her was frightfully amazing.

"B-but me and him are just friends!" The red-head sputtered, waving her arms in the dark. "He was in trouble, so I had to help hi—"

"I know," the blonde sighed. "I know, but…it was suppose to be me and him together, fending off monsters and such, us two together, you know? I got jealous. Envy is a sin, as the mortals' bible say." A short, bitter laugh. "And now, I don't like him in that way anymore, and yet, still I act hateful toward you all because of a small grudge. Mature, huh?"

A sliding, grate-ish noise was heard, and the mortal of the duo suspect that the godly one of them had slid down the wall and was sitting. Rachel sat slowly down, wanting to hear more of the blonde's confession of sorts.

"Gods, I'm pathetic, aren't I?" Annabeth said, laughing. Feeling the red-headed girl sitting on her right, she turned her head slightly. "By the way, I don't hate you, I was just acting stupid."

Rachel stared.

Noting the sudden silence, Annabeth raised an unseen eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"…You just called yourself stupid," the redhead whispered, tone sounding in an accusing way.

Annabeth blinked in the darkness. "Okay…and?"

A flurry of movement to the blonde's right seemed to say that the red head was agitated.

"Bu-but—" Rachel sputtered, "You're not suppose to call yourself stupid!"

" And why not?" Annabeth said, getting a little annoyed and even more confused at the mortal's distress.

"Because—" Rachel started to say, then she stopped.

"Because what?" Annabeth ventured crossly. "Spit it out already!"

"Because you're just not stupid," was the other girl's whisper, sounding a little worried.

"…" Annabeth was stupefied. Then she began to laugh.

Rachel flinched at the sound as if punched in the face. "W-why are you laughing?"

"Ha, ha," Annabeth chortled weakly, wiping the tears of mirth away before saying, "Rachel, I _am _stupid. Though it's rather cute that you don't think so."

Hearing the demigod laugh again, Rachel felt her face turned red. She just wanted to shut up and find a place to hide, but her body wouldn't let her move and her mouth decided to have a mind of its own.

"Annabeth, you're not stupid! Yeah, you make stupid mistakes, but _you _are not stupid."

Feeling the sudden silence pressing into her, Rachel went on determinedly. "You're not stupid at all. You're smart, highly intelligent in fact, and you're brave, loyal, and just... unique. I…_I'm _jealous of _you_."

Annabeth felt her throat clogged up like a stuffed dishwasher. "What?"

"I'm jealous of you," the freckled girl said quietly, tone slightly embarrassed, but strong. "Because you have the qualities that I lack, the godly parentage that I wish I have, and the friends that I don't have…I respect you, Annabeth, and even if you don't give a crap about me, I'll still respect you, no matter what."

"…" The feelings in Annabeth's chest seem to amplify painfully, and the hard lump in her throat wouldn't go away, even when she swallowed.

'_Rachel…she really saw me that way?'_ The half-blood thought incredulously. _'But why? I- I'm none of those things. I've been horrible to her since the beginning, and she still __**respects**__ me? I…'_

"Rachel…"

The red-head in mention cocked her head toward the voice. "Yeah?"

Annabeth swallowed, her guilt and shame twisting viciously in her heart. "I'm sorry." Then she closed her gray eyes, waiting for the other's response.

'_What if she doesn't forgive me? What if she thinks whatever I say now is a load of bull? What if she doesn't believe me? What if…what if she hates me?'_

"It's okay. I forgive."

The blonde's head snapped up. "H-huh?"

Annabeth could feel Rachel's smile even in the darkness.

"I forgive," Rachel answered. "That's what friends do, right?" A pause. "We…we are friends now, right, Annabeth?"

Breaking from her relief at the red-head's worried tone, Annabeth grinned in the dark. "Of course."

A comfortable silence ensued.

Then their present situation that they had forgotten hit them like a rock to the head.

"Oh gods," Rachel whispered. "How…how do we get out of this place? How long have we been here?"

"10 minutes? An hour? I don't know," Annabeth hissed nervously, hopping onto her feet, the red-head following pursuit. "Help me look for a way out?"

"But look for _what _exactly?" Rachel squeaked, hands shaking as the fear began to set in.

Feeling the other girl getting steadily more scared, Annabeth calmed herself, and reached out a reassuring hand on the mortal's shoulder.

"Calm down, it'll be okay. Just look for anything that feels weirdly shaped or texture, when you do, tell me and I'll see if it's it. Good?"

Feeling her worry ebbing a little, Rachel nodded, even though the other couldn't see it. "Okay."

The two began to work in silence, desperate to escape, feeling as if the air around them was slowly thinning.

Minutes passed by slowly, and Annabeth was beginning to feel claustrophobic as she reached her left hand up higher on the wall, when Rachel's voice whispered out.

"I…if-if we both die in here," the red-head said, voice shaky. "I'm…I'm just glad that I'm with you. S-sorry if it offends you or anything…"

Annabeth paused, then she smiled a small unseen smile. "It doesn't offend me, I'm thinking of the same thing as you. I'm...glad. I'm glad that if we do die, at least I won't die alone."

Silence came again, when suddenly Annabeth felt a timid hand in her own. Realizing that it was Rachel's, she gave a small squeeze that reassured herself more than the other, and the two began searching once more.

Suddenly, the red-head stumbled, and the her grip on Annabeth also made her trip, and in that confusion, the blonde's hand slipped down and pressed firmly on an indention in the wall, fingers desperate to grab something and to still their fall.

As the two both fell to the ground, legs tangled, the ceiling of the corridor seem to groan in pain, before a hole appeared, moonlight shining, lighting the hallway.

The girls gaped, unable to say anything, disbelief that they were now free.

Rachel was the first to move. Leaping up, she helped Annabeth to her feet before running to the steps that led to outside. "A way out!" The red-head jimmy up the steps like a kangaroo and stuck her head outside, feeling and smelling the outside world. "Oh gods, _yesss_," came the dizzy, dreamy sigh.

Annabeth blinked at the sudden light, for she was in the dark so long, her eyes were still adjusting. '_How did we get out?'_ Her tired mind thought dazedly.

The blonde look to the wall again, the moon's light helping her make out the indent that she had pressed earlier stand out more. The indent was shaped into the Greek letter '**D'**, and before Annabeth could make sense of it, Rachel came back and promptly dragged her outside, laughing in relief.

"Wait- Rachel-" Annabeth protested, struggling a bit to go back to the hallway to investigate a little more, but when she looked back toward Zeus's Fist, the hole was closed, as if it never existed.

'_What?'_

Soon, they arrived at the Big House, and at the sound of Rachel's yell, campers and directors spilled out, relieved expressions on their faces (minus Mr. D, of course).

"Annabeth! Rachel!" Percy cried out, reaching them first and hopping into Rachel's outstretched arms. "Oh, I'm sorry!" The little boy wailed, burying his head into the red-head's shoulder, "I'm sorry we played hide-and-seek, I- I-"

"Shh," Annabeth crooned, hugging the small raven and red-head together. "It's okay, it's okay…it's…"

Seeing the crowd of demigods and satyrs alike around her, hearing their voices seemingly meld into one, Annabeth dazedly smiled, glad to be back, before her exhausted mind collapsed into itself and she fainted.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_**Later that night**_

It was midnight, and all was quiet at the Hermes cabin, strangely. Nico was just glad that he was at last having peace.

"Ugh," Nico groaned, not caring if anyone heard him or not, for they were all asleep (besides him, of course), and slapped a sleeping Connor Stoll's foot away from his face. "Why in the gods' name am I sleeping in this dump?"

Yes. Nico di Angelo, son of Hades of the Underworld, was sharing a cabin with the mischievous children of Hermes. He was originally camping out at the Big House, since he didn't have his own cabin, but after Rachel decided to move in, she had given him strange, slightly nervous looks, and can't standing the eerie, tense silence any longer, he decided to move out. Sure, everyone gave him strange looks because he was Hades' child, and he always treated them (except his closest friends) with an aloof, cold, steely, and extremely standoffish air. But he considered Rachel a close friend of his, because she was Percy's friend, and he decided to go, not wanting to make her feel so uncomfortable. And she was extremely exhausted from spending at least 15 hours stuck somewhere in the woods, so he silently let her have some slack. And in the result of his rare moments of kindness, he was now stuck in a cabin full of kleptomaniacs, with one of their leader's feet in his face. Oh, joy. Heavy sarcasm on the joy part, of course.

'_On a second thought, how the heck does someone get lost for 15 hours in the woods? Small woods at that!' _The shadow boy thought incredulously. '_And with Annabeth of all people! I'm surprise the two are still alive right now…'_

The boy gave out a sigh and ran a hand through his dark hair. '_Oh, who cares, I'm tired. I'll think about it later.'_

He closed his eyes, and waited for sleep. He barely acknowledge the sound of the cabin door opening and closing, or the soft tip-toe sounds of small feet pattering on the wooden floor. He was that tired, he blearily thought it was another cabin member returning after some nightly…activities. Yes folks, you read that right.

Feeling his own breathing slowing, he was about to let himself go into sleep when a small body plopped down next to him and hugged his neck.

Nico's eyes flew open faster than you could say Jack Robinson **(7).**

"What the fu-?" Came the practically yelled out curse, and he sat up quickly, intent on attacking the intruder when he looked down and stared into the nervous eyes of Perseus Jackson. "Percy! Wha—" Seeing some of his cabin mates turning agitatedly in their sleep, the shadow boy lowered his voice to a tired hiss. "Percy, what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

"I-I- um—" Percy spluttered, frightened at the cross, exhausted look in the older boy's eyes.

"People are _sleeping_, Percy. It's not time to play!" Nico scolded firmly, shaking the sea-green eyed child lightly. "We're all tired, and we have Capture the Flag tomorrow!"

"I—" Percy blinked rapidly before he stood up on his short legs, shivering a little. "O-okay…sorry Nico…I-I'll go now…"

Seeing the small boy blink quickly against tears, Nico's heart unwillingly melt (but he wouldn't admit it), and he felt guilt rising up in his chest like a tidal wave. With a sigh, Hades' child pulled the younger back from retreat, and hugged him lightly, his own head resting on Percy's shaggy, yet fluffily soft, hair.

"It's okay, Percy, I'm just a little tired," Nico explain softly, feeling the 5-year old's trembling subside. "Now what's wrong?"

Percy wouldn't answer, and feeling the tenseness in Poseidon's child, Nico leaned back and observed the embarrassed look on the childishly chubby cheeks.

"Percy…" Nico prodded, giving him a small, reassuring smile, wanting the kid to trust him. "What's wrong?"

"I- nothing…" Percy mumbled unconvincingly, burying his small face into Nico's shoulder.

Nico raised a fine eyebrow. "Really?" The boy drawled lowly, "If there's nothing wrong, then why are you here? I think I deserve to know your reasons since you disturbed my sleep, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I need my beauty sleep like emo princess next to ya too, ya know! So spill the beans kiddo!"

Both the boys frozed, Nico in fierce anger at _whoever_ called him an _emo princess_ plan to make the person suffer, while Percy innocently stuck his head over his shadow friend's shoulder in bewilderment.

Connor and Travis Stoll grinned at them from their sleeping bags, both lying on their stomachs with chins in hand.

"What the- weren't you two sleeping?" Nico snarled quietly, angry at being interrupted of his intimate moment with Percy (and for being called an 'emo princess'. Remember that).

Connor yawned. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Gothy, we _were_ sleeping, but we woke up 'cause of all the noise you two sweetie pies made!"

The Hermes twins snickered in unison, high-fiving each other.

"We, my dear brother of mine, are awesome," Travis declared in a pompous voice, slinging a careless tan arm around said 'dear brother', grinning.

Nico growled low in his throat, tensing his muscles into leaping toward the thieving twins and ripping them oh-so-beautifully apart, when he felt the small weight in his arms and remembered the small child. Heaving a controlled, harsh sigh, the shadow boy tried his best to ignore the 'idiot-duo' and turned his attention to Percy, nudging the small kid lightly.

"I can see that you're not okay, Percy, what's wrong? You can tell me, just ignore the fools over there though…"

"Hey! We're not fools!" The twins protested indignantly as Percy stifled a giggle.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Could've fooled me."

Huffing, Travis turned to Percy, hoping that by asking and getting the child's dilemma solved, Nico's mocking looks would be successfully diverted away from him and his brother. "So…what's bothering ya, Perce? As you can see, we _were_ sleeping…"

Connor turned to his brother, a quizzical glance on his face before understanding dawned upon him. He also turned to Percy. "Yeah…so what's up, Squirt?"

"The ceiling," the 5-year old replied, smirking.

Connor's eyes narrowed. "Oi, don't you go all sarcastic ninja on me, shorty," the Hermes teen said in an accusing voice. "With your lil' sarcastic, mental ninja…katanas…shoving it in my brain…ain't funny, man." **(8)**

Nico gave him a disturbed look.

"What?"

"Was yours and your brother's childhood fairly all right? Because I could've sworn that was a quote from an insane person from an asylum."

Travis spluttered while Connor flushed embarrassedly. "Dane Cook isn't in the asylum! He's a _comedian_." Heavy emphasis on the 'comedian' part.

Nico smirked. "Same difference." The shadow teen turned to the youngest of the group, ignoring the twin's indignant whispers. "What's wrong Perce?"

Percy pursed his lips a little and seemed to debate whether on telling his older friend when, with a sigh, he garbled out in a rush, "Ihadabaddream."

The child of Hades blinked.

"Repeat that?"

Percy fiddled with the hem of his oversized, orange t-shirt. "I…had a bad dream."

"A bad dream?" Nico questioned, shifting a the child a little in his lap to better see the latter's face. "About what?"

"…" Percy bit his lip, looking scared and embarrassed. "It was... it was about Smelly Gabe...in the dream he took everyone away from me. Mommy, you, Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, everyone. And I was alone…I was scared…but no one was there for me, except him…and he laughed…and laughed…I couldn't run, I couldn't hide..." Percy covered his eyes, head lowering. "Dumb dream, huh?"

Nico was stunned. He couldn't even open his mouth to say anything. He had heard stories of Percy's ex-stepfather, but he never really knew that the 5-year old was truly scared of him. Wait, no. Percy wasn't scared _of_ Smelly Gabe. He was scared of the prospect that the nasty mortal actually had the power to take all he cared away from him. Then he clearly remembered exactly what Percy's words meant. He himself, Nico di Angelo, was someone _precious_ to the child of the Sea. Warmth seemed to flood in his pale, thin chest, closing his throat from uttering any words or noise. Instead, he hugged Percy a little closer, burying his light-pink hued face into raven locks, hoping that the latter understood the gesture.

That's when the twins decided to make their ungodly presence known.

"Who's Smelly Gabe?" Connor asked, while Travis piped up, "He doesn't sound like a nice guy."

Nico lifted his face, giving the children of Hermes a dark glare for interrupting the moment, but Percy, with a small shrug, lowered his hands and began to quietly explained who the main, central antagonistic figure of his dream was in a subdued voice. When the child finished, the whole cabin became silent, minus the snoring and grunts from the other slumbering campers.

Noting Percy's still tensed, anxious look, Nico began to say that it was just a dream and so on, when the twins scooted closer. The child of Hades practically choked as he felt Travis's hard chest on his back, Connor was situated behind Percy, and the twin's encircling their arms around him and Percy into a loose, yet strangely tight hug.

"It's okay, munchkin," Travis cooed softly, almost endearingly, his tan arms tightening. "That jerk won't come and get you. And if he does, me and Connor'll beat him up, 'kay Perce? And Ni, too, of course."

Nico bristled at the stupid nickname, feeling angry yet embarrassed in the twin's hold. He wasn't use to contact after all, besides Percy's, and now he was hugging with two, idiotic, children of Hermes nonetheless! _Hugging!_ But he noticed that Percy's face relaxed slightly, the anxious energy slowly waning away in the sea-green eyes. Nico sighed. He'll just have to bear with this contact, for his little friend's sake.

"Yeah," the half-Italian demigod murmured, lightly patting the sea child's back soothingly. "No one, and I mean _no one_ will take you away, and that's a promise."

"Aaww, lil Ni's such a softie at heart!" Connor laughed, interrupting the moment yet _again_.

"Hey, you know, without that evil glare on your face, you look a lot cuter," Travis added in jokingly, meeting eyes with Percy. "Doesn't Ni look cuter without that mean look on his face?"

Percy snickered. "Yeah~!"

Nico felt his face turning red. He wasn't _cute!_ And he never had a mean look!

Wrenching one hand free away from the mass of arms and bodies, he grabbed Connor's stray pillow and whacked said owner in the face.

Connor gaped. Nico hit him again, just for good measure, before swinging the plushy bed thing into Travis's face.

"Whoa!"

"Pillow fight!" Percy declared in an hyper hiss, springing himself away from the sudden, wild mass of bodies hitting each other with pillows, laughing in childish humor. The kid sat down and watched, not partaking in the activity, content as his dream was forgotten.

"I'm not _cute!_" Nico hissed, smacking Travis in the face while his back got plummeted with Connor's equal blows. All that pent up frustrated energy was finally letting out via pillow fighting…

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Ni," Travis chuckled, hitting the pale, younger boy in the stomach.

"Why the face?" Connor moaned kiddingly, said face suffering from another pillow attack. Nico growled, pillow hoisted high above his head when a new voice came in.

"Uh…guys?"

Everything frozed. The boys turned their faces toward the direction of the sound.

It was one of Connor's and Travis's half-sister. Sister in mention was now awake, a disgruntled look on the strong-featured face. Then her lips twitched in a smirk. "Gay moments, much?"

What?

That's when Nico noticed the position he and the twins were in. He himself was sitting on Connor's stomach, Connor on his back while leaning up on his elbows, face close to his own, while Travis was half kneeling/ half standing behind him, arms outstretched around his waist, and face close to his neck, breathing heavily. **(9)**

Oh Gods.

Percy then decided to take a picture of the twin's and Nico's compromising position with a randomly acquired _camera._

Oh. Gods.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Days before- Monday, 5:00 AM**

"Reporting. I found a weak point in the camp," was the soft, hushed murmur.

The woods were silent, dawn only an hour away.

A pause…

"Good work. The infiltration team will be there Friday afternoon."

"Yes, sir."

_**Friday, 5:55 P.M.-Capture the Flag**_

"Okay, Malcolm, you and your group distract the other team, while my group—" Annabeth pointed to a point on the foundation map, "—we'll sneak behind them and steal their flag. Everyone understand the plan?"

Her blue team nodded, gripping their choice weapon in anticipation for Capture the Flag. As they walked up to ready their defenses and get some more equipment, Annabeth let out a small smile, surveying her groups' hard at work.

A small tug on her armor brought her attention several feet lower, and the big eyes of Percy Jackson stared back at her innocently. The blonde demigod almost laughed out loud. The small 5-year old just looked adorably ridiculous! The helmet on Percy's head was too big, even after the expert, rapid mending by Beckendorf

"What do I have to do, Annabeth?" Percy inquired, cocking his head to the side in an adorable way.

Annabeth laughed, affection on her face as she pat his helmet clad head while thoughtfully musing, "Hmm…well, that's a hard one Perce…we got enough of our members on the offense and the infiltrating…"

"What's Ni doing?"

The wise girl inwardly smirked at the infamous nickname, already having heard of the 'nightly rendezvous' of one particular Underworld child and winged messenger twins.

"Nico's on the attacking offense with the Stolls, but we already got enough on the team, so no can do, Perce." She apologetically said, smile dimming a bit. Where can she put Percy? Wherever it is, the position had to be somewhere safe (she, Nico, and everyone else didn't want their small friend to get injured in any way), yet filled with enough action to keep the child's excitement from waning…

Percy pouted. "Aww…what about defense then?" Truthfully, he didn't like the defense idea, but he wanted to play Capture the Flag, so why not?

Annabeth's eyes brightened. "Perfect! We _are_ lacking in that department." She stilled, seemingly thinking the plan even further, before starting up again. "And to make it a little more difficult, why don't you also defend our line, but protect Silena, too? She's not the strongest, as you know, and a lot of guys would be…aiming for her. What do you think?"

Percy grinned. "Okey doke! And…" His smile turned a little more innocent. "How's things with Rachel? Is it okay now?"

Athena's child flushed unintentionally. "I-I- Oh, just go, you little!" She softly-firmly pushed him into the defense direction, before turning away and stomping to Nico and the others, ears red.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. What did he say wrong? Oh well, time to go.

Spinning on his heel, he began walking, humming a little childish tune as his 5-year old legs took him in the right direction towards the defense line.

Some bushes ruffled to his right, and Percy tensed, a little wary, when the person he was supposed to protect stumbled out, pretty features taking in his appearance in with a surprised gasp. Silena.

"P-Percy?"

"Hi, Silena!" Percy chirped, not finding the situation strange at all. "Whatcha doing here?"

The Aphrodite girl stiffened a bit. "N-nothing."

Percy frowned. He could tell that it wasn't just nothing, her stance proved it to him. "You sure? Got any problems?"

Silena faltered. "Aah…n-no?"

"Really." The sea child's tone turned a little sarcastic. "Uh huh…well, just to let you know, it's my job to protect you, so you might as well talk to me, 'kay?"

He turned to walk further on, twisting his head to look at the beautiful, taller girl, smiling a bit more shyly. "Let's go~!"

With quick footsteps, she caught up to the younger, walking in sync with him. A tense and strange silence ensued.

Percy didn't know Silena really well, but she seemed like a nice, extravagant girl. Yet right now, she seemed darker, more brooding…

"Percy…" Silena started quietly. He cocked his ear towards her, curious at her tone. Do you…like this camp?"

He blinked. Well, he wasn't really expecting that, but no matter. "No…I don't _like_ it."

The fashion-loving female turned incredulously at him. "What?"

He smiled, a gentle tilt of the mouth, his eyes melting into a softer, warm green glint. "I don't like Camp Half-Blood, I _love _ it."

Silena blinked, staring intently at his face, as if discovering a new thing to behold. "…Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Percy asked, pulling Riptide out to aimlessly twirl it.

"Why do you love this camp?" Silena insisted, "There's nothing here to love about it! It's just a place where we rejected kids go to, nothing more, nothing less. This place is…nothing. Why do you think so many demigods left to join Kronos's side?"

A silent pause…

"I don't really know much about Kronos," Percy ventured cautiously, "But I know he's bad."

"How do you know he's bad?" The dark haired beauty challenged, "I've heard that all he wants is to create a _better_ world, a world where we halfbloods are accepted, where there is no more pain or suffering, just peace. How is he bad?"

"But to do that, he must destroy this camp, right?"

Silena stopped in her tracks, forcing Percy to stop with her. "…Yes." She looked into Percy's bright eyes intensely, as if silently asking him to answer every question she had. "What is so special about this place? It's just a small piece of land."

Percy chuckled a little. "Yeah, I have to admit, it _is_ just a piece of land, huh?" His voice turned a notch more serious, yet warm. "But it's not the land I truly love. It's the people and things here." He smiled. "Don't you have a special person or family? Like...Beckendorf?"

The Aphrodite girl blushed. "Wh-no! There's nothi-"

"Don't lie, Silena, I see the way you look at him, and I see the way he looks at you, too." Percy said, softly smug. "He's a part of your heart, too, huh? And you're a part of his."

Silena didn't try to deny it. It was like Percy's words had sucked out her denial and determination for her to _forget_, to not reciprocate the Hephaestus child's feelings and warm looks, to not let her fall for him.

"You see," Percy started, strolling a little ahead. "It's not the land I really love, but the people that's living here." He smiled. "I love _them_. They, Annabeth, Nico, Tyson, Grover, Rachel, my mom, Chiron, you, the other campers, even _Clarisse_ hold a place in my heart." He put a small hand on his chest, directly over his beating heart. "They're my special, _precious_ people. They live on this land, and that's why I love Camp Half-Blood. It's a _home_ for me and my family, for you, too. Just open your eyes, Silena. What do you see? Hear? Do you see how the dying sunlight is shining on the leaves? The laughing of the campers? This is _home._ Home for all of us. And if Kronos destroys this place…he destroys my precious people, too. And I _can't_ let that happen. I just _can't._ That's why, if the time comes, I will protect them from him, no matter what happens to me. He will _not _destroy this place, because if he does that, he's destroying my family, too, and I just can't let that happen." He turned to the shell-shocked girl, eyes a little sad. "Don't you see, Silena? If the others had realized all of this, and yeah, if their godly parent had claimed them, then maybe…maybe it would've been for the better, right? They wouldn't have felt the need, the desperation, to go join Kronos, just to have the false joy of feeling needed for a misplaced position in the war. Right?"

Silena opened and her mouth…then closed it, too stunned at the deep _logic_ that Percy had given. It was too much. She felt her will staining, then cracking, as his words hit deep to trigger the outbreak of her guilt.

"Percy…"

Percy halted, vivid eyes gazing in her frightened ones. She didn't want to say it, she didn't want to watch his trust shatter as she told him the _truth,_ the truth about who she really is. But she had to.

"Yeah, Silena?"

"I…" The petite girl licked her dry lips, but continued on, trying her hardest to ignore the lump in her throat. "If I was a traitor serving on Kronos's side…what would you do?"

He held her in a gaze, emotionless, and she grew afraid, afraid that the judgment of a 15-turned-5-year old would break _her._ But she waited, with quick, short breaths.

Then Percy smiled. "I _would_ be angry that you were a traitor…" In his eyes, she knew that _he_ knew what she truly was, and she felt the tears about to spill, when his next words shock her to the core. "…but I would always, _always,_ remain your friend."

The tears slid down her beautiful face involuntarily, as she stared at him in wonder, warmth and happiness flooding through her chest with such intensity that it _hurt_, and for the first time in months, she smiled a true smile.

"Percy…I…I…"

"I know," the boy murmured, smiling back.

And she knew that he knew what she wanted to say.

The two started walking again, not really paying attention to where they were going, just content that they were on the move.

"You know…" Percy started lightly, looking up at her with innocence. "Will you finally accept Beckendorf's feelings? You know as well as I do that he has waited a long time…"

Silena smiled warmly. "Yes," she whispered, "I'll accept." And then she realize the full extent of her words. Making that promise would end up having to tell Chiron and the other campers that she was a _traitor_. Would Beckendorf still hold feelings for her? Through the troubling thoughts, she knew, with a firm clarity, that yes, he would still hold feelings for her, even if it all go downhill for her, she knew that he would always reach out just for _her._ The truth of her thoughts depressed her, for she knew that if worse comes to worse, she would be the shared downfall for him.

More tears spilled out of her brown eyes. Why was everything so simple, yet complicated?

"Silena…?" Percy quietly inquired, worry evident in his eyes.

The pretty-featured girl remembered the small child's existence, and felt more warmth flood into her heart. This person…deserved more than her as a friend. He willingly accepted her first, knew and understood truly of what was conflicting her, even though he was a mere child. Smiling, she felt immense gratitude towards Percy, and so much affection and adoration that she wanted to somehow return the favor and make him happy, keep him safe, to pay for all the crimes she committed, to redeem.

Then she saw where they were and her smile fell from her face like a dropping stone in water.

Percy looked at her curiously. "Silena?" Then he noticed his surroundings, too. "Hey~ this is the place where Annabeth and Rachel got lost, I think!"

Zeus's Fist. It looked like a harmless place to be, but she knew better, oh so much better…

"Percy."

The child turned to her, curiosity piqued even further at the tone of her voice. "Huh?"

The girl fixed a serious look to him. "Go. Now."

He was baffled. "What? Why?"

"Go, Percy! Run, please!" Silena pleaded, expression terrified. "Run and get the others-"

At that moment, they heard rocks shifting and turned toward the sounds.

Stepping out from the moving boulders that made up Zeus's Fist, Ethan Nakamura's fixed his one-eyed gaze on the duo, more soldiers behind him.

"Aah…Silena. Good work." He noticed Percy and the weapons and armor. "You said that they weren't prepared…is this betrayal?"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

They were just getting ready when the scream ran out.

Everyone frozed as the scream echoed, the sound finally ending in bloodcurdling fear.

"That…wasn't that Silena's?" Rachel question meekly.

Nico and Annabeth both frozed, likewise Beckendorf. The two knew that Percy was assigned the job of protecting Silena, and if she was the one who screamed…

Beckendorf and Nico started sprinting in the direction of the scream, with Annabeth yelling, "Come on! We have to help!"

Help with what, she wasn't sure, but she went on determinely anyway, her Capture the Flag team and the other opposing team following, curious about the scream and sudden actions.

Minutes passed, and then, with a sinking feeling, Annabeth knew with shocking clarity where she was going, and what _really_ was at or is, Zeus's Fist.

Cursing herself at her own stupidity, she and the campers suddenly appeared in the clearing that held Zeus's Fist, and the scene shocked them.

Silena laid on the ground, clutching her face and moaning as scarlet liquid rand down her skin, Percy was yelling and screaming, holding onto the Aphrodite child's armor straps, as he kept on repeating, "Why? Why? WHY?"

Annabeth's eyes looked up and met Ethan's. He regarded her coldly, calculatingly.

Then all Hades broke loose as both sides of the faction lunged forward to battle.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Ethan inwardly growled, noting that once again, his side was vastly outnumbered by the campers.

It was that entire Aphrodite girl's fault! Betraying him at the last minute when he could've had the chance to earn the praise of compliments of his lord.

The vengeful demigod blocked a spear with his shield and quickly stabbed forward, hearing the opposing halfblood give a cry.

The child of Nemesis noted in the middle of his fighting, that even though he really didn't want to leave, he had to, for the sake of surviving.

"Retreat!" Ethan roared, parrying a sword blade. "Retreat!"

The one-eyed teen began running toward the Labyrinth's entrance, looking back to see his followers rapidly following.

He scowled.

They lost this battle, but they _will_ win the war.

That's when he saw the _familiar,_ small child from before, now partaking in the battle and stabbing someone with his celestial blade, tiny hands gripping the sword tightly, lips pulled back in a childish snarl.

The kid would probably make an excellent hostage.

Ethan pounced.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"Everybody _**FREEZE!"**_

And everybody did just that, unwillingly stopping at the cold, commanding voice. The campers felt their face morphing into that of shock and horror at the scene before them.

"Lemme go!" Percy screeched, flailing his limbs. "Lemme go, you jerk!"

Ethan ignored him, putting his attention on the campers. "Any of you make a move, and this one dies."

Nico felt his dark eyes dilate. Percy…!

The child of Hades took a step.

Seeing the movement from his peripheral vision, Ethan turned his head and glared. "Freeze where you stand. Or this kid gets it."

Nico took another step, anger quickly rising, lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. "Let. Him. Go." The words were sharp, yet clear.

Ethan narrowed his eye. "I think I call the shots here," the teen murmured, holding his sword to Percy's neck. The latter finally frozed when he felt slight pain on his skin and liquid fire slip down. Percy stilled himself, feeling a little scared.

"N-Nico!" Percy cried softly, turning frightened eyes on the pale boy. "Help me!"

Ethan pressed the sword closer. "Hush now."

Nico twitched, his leg lifting up to take another furious step. Annabeth predicted that would happen and hissed, "Nico! Stop! Or you'll get him _killed!"_

At those words, the shadow boy frozed, eyes dark with untold anger and hate. "You'll _pay,"_ he snarled at Ethan, lowly, arms shaking.

"Sorry, I don't have any cash on me," Kronos's follower sarcastically stated, slowly backing into the Labyrinth. He nodded a quick jerk toward his own side. "Come."

Slowly, one by one, the demigods on the Titan's side limped toward the hole, until Ethan was the last one left. He too, started to follow, when Grover's voice broke the silence.

"Let him go!"

Turning toward the satyr, the Goddess of Revenge's child coyly smirked. "Now, I can't do that, can I?"

And he took one final step further in the cursed Labyrinth, with a struggling, horrified 5-year old Percy along for the ride.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Seeing the boulder's beginning to close the Labyrinth, Nico was the first one to make a move and lunged forwards. But it was too late. Pale fists only hit solid rock.

"No," the demigod mumbled, staring in shock at the granite. "No…"

Percy was gone. Nico couldn't protect him. He had broken his promise to the younger. And now Percy was _gone._

In the silence, Silena's sobs could be heard. Turning, Nico saw that Beckendorf was holding the beautiful girl up, her dark head on his armor-clad chest, face no longer as breath-taking as before as red mercury liquid flowed down from a scar that ran from her right eye down and across her nose to her left cheek.

"I-I'm sorry," the girl softly wailed, crystalline tears dripping pathetically down into the red. "It's my f-fault. I-I'm the traitor, I- I should _die."_

"Shh," Beckendorf shushed comfortingly, arms tightening around her small, shaking frame. "Shh, it's okay Silena. It's…"

Beckendorf clenched his eyes in sadness, only hugging her in his embraced, no words uttered.

Annabeth covered her mouth in shock, the horror of the situation finally catching up fully with her. Rachel and the other campers just watched numbly.

"I-it's _not_ okay," Silena hiccupped. She turn her terrified, wide eyes on Nico. "N-Nico…I'm _sorry. _I'm so sorry…" She sobbed, shame rising in her as she witnessed his lost, yet hateful look.

Nico just stared at her. Not knowing what to say. He should hate her, _kill_ her, for causing Percy to be kidnapped, for being a traitor. But he couldn't. He didn't.

The pain in his heart throbbed sickly, harshly, and he just wanted to kill himself.

Instead, he clenched his fists, turned his face to the darkening sky, and _screamed_ his pain, his sorrow out to the world.

Percy was _gone._

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Later**

Luke was just minding his own business, delivering paperwork to his leader when Ethan and Co. appeared.

The blonde noted their disheveled, torn up look and stated, a bit too mild for his taste, "I suppose the plan didn't go out well."

Then an orange blur zoomed forward, and Luke was staring into familiar, angry, _sea-green_ eyes.

"I HATE YOU!" Percy declared, before kicking Luke in the shin.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**UnluckyWriter: -froths at mouth- Good Lord aboves, my fingers! My precious fingers! –sob- But I do admit, I deserve it, don't I? But no matter, I updated! Ha! So now I won't have to die yet! Yay! Damn! It's been like, what? A year and a half since I last update, and I'm sorry, my faithful readers! School's been busy, I've been hit with the evil **_**WRITER'S BLOCK**_** (-HISSS-), and I was just plain lazy! So I hope this amount of painful writing is enough so far! Love you all! Please don't kill me.**

**(1)I read that particular bit in 'Angels and Demons'. Wonderful book! =D**

**(2) Yesh! I actually found this in a college book! But now…since I'm in the –censored- grade, this is relatively easy! And I'm not in college!...Or high school. Heh heh. I'm amazingly smarticles.**

**(3) It was the Lotus Casino, right? Yeah…**

**(4) And that's how you spell that fart-face's name, 'ight?**

**(5) This will be important later~! And anyways…I was listening to 'Hello Seattle' by Owl City. Go listen to it. Now.**

**(6) I have ALWAYS imagine Rachel to have freckles! So don't sue!**

**(7) I was forced to Read 'Gone with the Wind'. Amazing book, but damn it all! It was LOOOONG! _'**

**(8) Dane Cook cracks me up. LOL**

**(9) Hmm….ConnorXNicoXTravis anyone? –Gets shot- LAST DYING WISH: Someone should TOTALLY make a fic of this three as a…threesome couple? -Gets shot once more-**

**Oh yeah, if the writing style throughout this fic seem to change and morph weirdly, REMEMBER, this baby has been modified and has been sitting in the laptop for a LOOONG time, so my writing style might've changed! So yeah…**

**Review anyone?**


	7. In Enemy Hands

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

_**Chapter 7: In Enemy Hands**_

_**WELCOME TO **__**CRAP CHAPTER **__**NUMBER UNO. This features crappy and nonsensical writing. Enjoy the crappiness! XD I'm sorry….**_

**Pairing****: Future Luke/ Percy, I suppose…what? I can't suppose now? And other pairings in later chaps. Take that.**

**Disclaimer****: Look, if I owned this amazingly, beautiful series, I would be RICH. And happy. And possibly have a life. But I don't. Be grateful. =)**

**Note(s):**** Urgh, I truly am sorry that I haven't updated! Seriously. Except…I hate this fic. Yes, I just said-well typed it. There. The reason why I hate this all of a sudden? Well, let's see…I wrote this in 2009-ish, and I was such a…what's the word? Oh yeah, I was such an **_**immature kid**_**! Well…I still consider myself an immature kid…but now I'm an immature kid that has matured in the writing and reading ways! XD If that doesn't make sense, then good. You don't wanna know. Anyways, back to the reason. I hate this because I wrote the first few chapters waaaaaaay back, and looking back at my past writing, I just cringe and have the urge to commit suicide. My writing back then **_**sucked butt.**_** I hate it. The maturity level, the grammar and vocabulary, the wrong usage of words, the strange, insane, unoriginal plotline, dear lord above, I think I should've went to Writer's Hell. But no worries! I won't discontinue this! No matter how much I hate this…adorable thing…I **_**can't**_** just let it go. I **_**created**_** this, gave it life and personality…and now I want to kill it? Hell no! No matter what, this is my wannabe adopted child, and like Hell I'm gonna destroy it! And besides, looking at all the reviews, the alerts, the favorites that you dear wonderful people gave me, jeez, I just **_**can't**_** discontinue this! THANK YOU, YOU PEOPLE YOU! There…I'm done for now~! =D**

**Warning(s):**** Major OOCness, crappy grammar, and I suppose this fic is actually **_**SHOUNEN AI**_**, instead of Yaoi, cause there won't be any **_**major**_** lovey-dovey- ness in this story, yeah? Dammit…I can't believe that I went on for 3 years thinking Yaoi and Shounen Ai is the freaking **_**same**_** thing! Ugh, at least I know now…**

_**Dedicated to GIRL WITH A GOLDEN HEART! Yes, my friend, you truly do have a golden, beautiful heart for waiting this long for my monstrous piece of writing! Happy extremely late Birthday! I'm sorry this was so late…Thanks for waiting~! And you too, NEWAMI! You dear friend, you! I love you peoples, do you know that? =D**_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Luke let out a pained yell as Percy's small foot connected harshly against his shin, his body toppling to the ground as his balanced shifted unsteadily.

"What the heck- _gak!"_ The scarred demigod started to say before being cut off as Percy clambered on top of the elder and smacked him roughly in the face.

"You jerk!" Percy screeched angrily, small hands pummeling Luke's face like some kind of deranged boxer. "I want to go back to Camp Half-Blood! _Bring me back!"_

Ethan really didn't know what to do as he stared in baffled amazement at the scene before him. There his superior lay on the ground, being beaten up by a mere _5-year old._ This was just too…priceless.

The one-eyed teenage felt his lips twitch.

Luke scowled, fending off the child's blows the best he could. Said blows didn't hurt, but it was annoying nonetheless! Seeing Ethan, his _underling_, smirking like there was no tomorrow, the blonde barked, "Nakamura, get this kid off me this instant!"

"It's all your fault!" Percy screamed, eyes blazing.

Ethan contemplated Luke's order in hesitation, because in truth, he never liked the elder half-blood, but the decision was then made as he saw a seemingly red haze settle over Percy's eyes after the latter's declaration and the child uncapped Riptide.

The pen quickly morphed into its familiar celestial bronze blade, and Luke suddenly realized who the kid was.

"Percy?" The elder managed to croak in shock as the sword began to descend down.

Percy started out of his trancelike state, surprised that the blonde man knew who he was, and tried to stop the weapon's descent, but his arms were too small and weak, and with the help of gravity, the blade continued on it's way towards Luke's neck.

_Clang._

Luke's eyes popped open (When did he even close them?) and Percy glanced up, meeting Ethan's one-eyed gaze.

"Sharp objects aren't safe in children's hands," Ethan remarked, his sword flicking Percy's to the side.

The red haze came again over Percy's sight as he glared at the taller boy. This person was just like the others, trying to prevent him from going back home! Unnamed pure hatred, stressful anger, and violent rage gave him sudden strength to bring his sword up to knock Ethan's away, the metallic weapon skidding over the rock ground on the teen's right. Percy leapt up, leaving a bewildered Luke on the ground.

Ethan flinched back in shock, and backed away quickly, dodging Percy's clumsy slashes.

"Stop it!" The one-eyed male hollered, feeling the breeze from the 5-year old's wild swings. "Kid, stop swinging that thing! You're going to hurt someone!"

Ethan's cries were not heard as Percy was too far lost in his scarlet rage, and the latter proved it by snarling soundlessly and thrusting his blade forward, his aim straight and true towards the older boy's abdomen.

Time suddenly stopped. Literally.

Percy snapped out of his anger quickly when his body froze in midway of stabbing Ethan, sword suspended, point glinting dangerously in the torchlight. The small demigod made a small noise in his throat as he tried to move, but his limbs felt too heavy, too slow to obey. He could still move his body, barely, though. Time wasn't fully stopped, it was just moving at a slower rate.

What was going on?

Footsteps sounded from down a hallway on Percy's left, getting closer and strangely colder.

Hearing the other inhabitants of the small section of the labyrinth swallow, Percy swiveled his head, meeting the frightened eyes of the enemy demigods.

The cold somehow became unbearable.

Feeling the blood chill in his veins, the 5-year old cautiously moved his head slightly to his left, struggling against whatever force was holding his limbs against his will.

Looking up, Percy saw a man standing in front of the left corridor's entrance. The man had black hair, pale skin, and fairly normal features. The man roved his eyes around the area, taking in account of Luke and Ethan's scuffled look, the other half-bloods' dirty armor and weapon, and lastly…on Percy.

"What do we have here…?" The man mused, walking closer to Percy's frozen form.

Percy felt the hair on the back of his neck rise unwillingly. This man was _not_ human. The voice, the _strange_ golden eyes, and the icy smirk held _power_, power that was immense and timeless. All in all, it made Percy feel _very_ afraid, even though his logical side of mind claimed there was nothing to be afraid of.

The small child involuntarily held his breath when the inhuman being stopped in between himself and a pale Ethan, and with an air of calmness, gently knocked his still raised sword down with a fine fingered hand. The notion might have been seen as soft, but the smirk on the _thing's_ face was too mocking, too cold and sly to be seen as such. The action in itself seemed malicious.

Kronos watched the child stare up at him in ill-hidden fear, and he smirked even wider.

"I heard a commotion down the hall," the Titan purred oily, a long finger reaching out to tilt Percy's chin up. "I did not care much about it, but when I heard a child-like voice began screaming, I wondered…"

Moving Percy's head to the side, Kronos asked, "Who might you be, little one?"

Percy didn't answer, feeling any words that could've been spoken die on his tongue.

Staring, Luke saw how tightly the Titan gripped the smaller demigod's face, and he felt anger…at what? _'It must be pity_' Luke thought, seeing Percy's terrified expression. _'I would hate to be in his position.'_ A feeling of protectiveness suddenly surge through the blonde's chest, and he breathed harshly, baffled at the 180 sensation. He quickly squashed it down before it could go any further into his thoughts.

Kronos observed the child's face in his hand, the small features, the black hair, and the _familiar_ sea-green eyes-

"Perseus Jackson," the immortal breathed out involuntarily.

Everyone in the room stiffened.

Kronos wondered how he had assumed that thought. The boy that was standing before him was merely _that,_ a boy. The real Perseus Jackson was 15 years old. Though, the last time he had seen the cursed son of the Sea was in the Labyrinth with the Fates. The boy was still older than, but this child…

_What exactly did happen in the Labyrinth?_

Who was this boy? Based on Kronos' observation, this child looked too much like Perseus, had the same anger, the same battle stance…

"Who are you?" Kronos bit out, narrowing golden eyes at wide sea-green. And not waiting in answer, Kronos went to look into the boy's mind, to find out…that he couldn't. For some odd reason, he couldn't go past the child's mental barrier. It was too…wild…turbulent… Like the ocean. But _if_ this boy was indeed Percy… Kronos smiled in a sinister way. _But he had to make sure…_

Percy felt his throat go dry at the grin, becoming more and more scared by the second. Who was this _thing_ and how did it know his name?

"Who are you, child?" Kronos repeated again with more force, getting impatient.

The 5-year old flinched at the tone, not knowing why he was so _afraid_, and he began to stutter, "I- I'm-"

"His name's Peter Johnson."

Everyone swiveled their heads in incredulous wonder at Luke, the one that had spoken.

Kronos cocked his head curiously to the side. "Peter Johnson…?"

Luke felt horrified. What had he just done?

Percy stared at the blonde in mortification, not at his current situation incredibly enough, but at the particular name choice. _Peter Johnson?_

Ethan stared at his blonde superior, and then back at his 5-year old hostage. That kid didn't look like a Peter Johnson…in fact, he looked like-

It was like a two ton anvil had dropped on his head.

Percy Jackson.

Why in his mother's name was Luke _protecting_ Percy Jackson of all people?

Luke obviously felt the same way. Just _why_ was he protecting the teen-turned-kid for?

"Peter Johnson?" Kronos questioned, glaring at his servant in suspicion. "This child is named Peter Johnson?"

Even though he didn't know the exact reason why he had lied to his master, Luke knew he had already began digging his own grave when he uttered that sentence. "Y-yes, his name is Peter Johnson."

Kronos gave Hermes' son a leveled look. "And how do you know this…Peter Johnson?"

Luke swallowed.

Percy opened his mouth, about to cut in and say he didn't know this scarred teenager when Ethan gave him a warning one-eyed look.

_Don't interfere._

Percy stood, unsure if he should let the blonde stranger handle his fate, and then he stood down, waiting for the outcome.

"Well…?" Kronos prompted, feeling victory coming. "I need an _answer_, Luke-"

"He's my half-sister's lovechild with a mortal, sir," Luke suddenly burst out, blue eyes determinedly looking into Kronos' gold ones. "I knew him when he was just 3 years old when my idiot of a sister, Alana, brought him in, because her equally idiot boyfriend didn't have enough money to support the two of them, so he kicked them out."

Ethan and Percy blanched at the horrible story. _Lovechild?_ Percy wondered if he should've interfered after all…

Kronos gave Luke a blank stare. "Lovechild…?"

Luke sweated but he nodded. "Yes."

"Then why does he resemble Perseus Jackson so…?"

"Sir, there's plenty of boys that look or have the same characteristics of that boy," Luke said firmly, yet inside, he was a quivering wreck. "Peter just coincidentally look like Percy. He probably got his eyes from his father, I mean, he got the hair from Alana, and you know how these kids are and the sun, they get tan to get their vitamins you know, so-"

"Stop rambling," Kronos ordered, looking irritated at being fed the sorry excuse of a story. "I can see your point." Then he turned on Percy. "What's your mother and father's name?"

Percy looked at the Titan like deer in headlights.

Luke felt like dying. What had he gotten himself into?

And then Percy started talking. "Mommy's name is Alana Johnson, because she's my Daddy's wife, and she likes blueberry and banana muffins. Daddy's name is Robert Johnson, and I think he hates me and mommy." He paused. "Daddy's other name is 'asshole', too, but that's Mommy's name for him."

Ethan choked while the rest of his minions looked slightly amused.

Luke and Kronos blinked. That wasn't what they were expecting…

"How long have you known Luke…?" Kronos asked, still suspicious.

Percy breathed in a big gulp of air. "Since I was little. I hate him." The 5-year old gave a false accusatory glare at the blonde man in mention. "Because he never gave me ice cream."

Luke stared him down, annoyed. "Brats like you shouldn't get any more sugar in your system."

"_I want my ice cream!"_ Percy bellowed angrily, shaking Riptide like a torch.

"Silence." Kronos hissed lowly in a way that everyone could hear. Time froze again. "Do you know about the demigods and whatnot?" The question itself was entirely rhetorical for Percy-posing-as-Peter held a _celestial bronze sword._

"Yes…" Percy said in a small voice, unsure again. "I know that there's gods all over the place doing stuff that normal people can't, and kids with Superman powers are fighting each other with sticks. Like this one." He help up his weapon. "Why do you want to know?"

Kronos stared at the small boy unemotionally for a few seconds before his lip curled and he turned on heel, gliding away. "It appears that you've kidnapped a mere civilian, Nakamura. Keep him. We might have use for him later." The Titan stopped, turning his head back in the demigods' direction. "And Castellan…Peter Johnson…is also your charge. Look after him."

And that was that.

Luke fumed at the use of his last name as Ethan stared in disbelief at the retreating immortal.

Ethan's small group of survivor's from the Camp Half-blood attack looked at each other in confusion.

Seeing the group dawdle around in a dazed fashion, Luke snapped out scathingly, "What are you imbeciles standing around here for? Go off and do your work!" He spun upon Percy, glaring. "And _you_-" a dark hiss "- stay out of my way." With that last word, the blonde turned in the other direction and stalked away.

Percy blinked at the show of hostility before looking up imploringly at Ethan. Seeing the questioning look into the child's eyes, he merely shrugged, stepping aside for his minions to pass.

"Looks like we're stuck together," the one-eyed boy told his smaller companion. He nudged Percy along into a corridor. "Come on, squirt. Man…why am I always stuck with this babysitting stuff…?"

"But…" Percy started to say, looking lost.

Ethan sighed. "Yeah, yeah, we hate each other, blah blah. I get it. But like it or not, you're stuck with me…Peter."

"But my name's not _Peter_!" Percy whispered loudly, turning to clutch the older halfblood's shirt. "I- my name's _Percy Jackson_. And…I just want to go _back home._"

Gazing contemplatively into wild green eyes, Ethan felt his heart ache at the sadness in them, and he wondered why he just had to kidnap the one kid that fought for the gods and goddesses in the prophecy.

"I'm sorry," he said, and it was true.

As if the dam broke, Percy fell into himself, shrinking away from Ethan like a wounded animal as he clutched his small arms.

Tears welled in Percy's eyes, but he didn't cry. He merely asked, "_Why me?"_

Ethan didn't know what to say.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_**UnluckyWriter:**__** Well…I'm sorry for the horrible shortness and crappy writing of this particular chap. And I know I shouldn't be making excuses, but well, they're true. Now, if half of this sounds, or looks weird, it's because my writing's been changing like crazy the past few years! OTL And I've fallen out of obsession with the series…sorry…. But I still love the Percy Jackson series! They were my first fanfic love, after all…..same love can't be said of the new series though. *shiver* I'm never going to read Riordan's new series….I have too much (crazy and unexplainable) loyalty to the old ones. Why, Rick Riordan? Why? That Jason kid isn't half as awesome as Percy! *goes off to fume* So yeah, like I was saying…I've kinda fallen outta love of this series, I get hit with really disastrous writing plot bunnies… I procrastinate too much…and I over think things. This chap WAS supposed to be longer and stuff…..but then my thinking screwed my original plan up and I said screw it and wrote this half assed excused of writing instead. Looking back on it….I'm cringing in disgust. I'm sorry for the random rambling points in here and the no major character development and every single writing flaw in this chapter! I'm so tired…school is such a meanie this year….I have too much crap to do….**_

_**So I hereby state: DEAR BELOVED READERS, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT WRITING UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND GOING OFF AND SCREWING THIS CHAP TO HADES AND BACK. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HURT ME. A LITTLE. THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU ALL…so much. *sob***_

_**Review? =D**_


	8. Slipped Away

_**Little Ocean, Smallest Sea**_

**Chapter 8: Slipped Away *(Okay…I'm TOTALLY stealing song names for the titles of chapters, so please, don't sue. I'm not in an original mood at the moment for titles. OTL I apologize.)***

_**Pairing(s):**__**Main is Luke/Percy. Ish. Yes. Others are in here…somewhere.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Look…I've and you guys has gotten this far KNOWING that this FIC is what it is. A FIC. FANFICTION. Are disclaimers still valid at this point?**_

_**Notes:**__**Please don't kill me for lack of updates and whatnot. *cowers* I'm sorry. All my excuses has been used…ish…..I haven't updated in forever because….I procrastinated. Yes. I did. *cowers some more* I just…I just got tired of writing. Okay? Somehow, I subconsciously switch the amount of usage of a particular website every year, say, for example, last year was my fan fiction year, that's why I updated a ton and whatnot. The year before that, it was my Youtube year, that's why I made tons of videos. Now, this year is my… Deviantart year. O_O I've been doodling. And doing summer homework for my Pre-AP classes…mostly doing the homework. Okay? So I have valid reasons, dudes! Valid!**_

_**Warnings:**__** As usually stated in my previous chapters. (As you all can tell, I'm getting rather tired of this…)**_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Rachel stood at the window of the Big House, gazing desolately outside into the rain and roaring storm.

Poseidon was not happy.

He was furious.

Livid.

Angry.

Heartbroken.

And it was all her fault.

Percy was gone. He was kidnapped. He was silent. Intangible. _Gone._

She placed her face in her hands.

It was all her fault.

"It's not, you know," someone said, softly over her shoulder.

She didn't startle, knowing it was Nico behind her, seeing as he was sheltering from Poseidon's rage outside.

"It is," she answered quietly. Hesitation. "I was there, I saw what happened. And I…" She wrung her hands tightly and furiously. "I couldn't do a damn thing," she finished in a dark whisper. "I was _useless."_

She squared her shoulders; voice began to rise steadily in a crescendo. "I was useless. And yet, I promised to be his friend, _friend._" A bitter laugh. "It was a privilege. In promising to be his friend, I promised to protect him, keep him safe, help make him happy. And he got taken, anyway." The redhead gestured. "Useless. That's me. What kind of friend _let's_ that happen?"

She turned pained green eyes upon Nico, desperate, twisted, horrible, and grieving. "I promised I wouldn't be useless anymore, promised to be useful, to help, to not hinder, to be something needed. And I… failed." Placed her face in freckled hands again. "Useless, that's me."

Silence.

"You can't honestly believe that," Nico said flatly. "Self-centered, all of a sudden, aren't we."

Rachel's head shot up, shocked and disbelieving. "What. _What?"_

Nico shrugged, nonchalant in stance, but form tense and anxious. "You," he said, "Self-centered. Selfish. Taking it all upon yourself. Never giving. Never sharing. All important-"

"Stop," she said, but knowing all those things were true, knowing and knowing- "Stop it, Nico, I-"

"And-" the dark-haired boy cut her words off, eyes smoldering, lips curled in a bitter smile. "You're not the only one."

She paused.

Nico rolled thin shoulders. "You're not the only one," he said again, eyes smiling, angry, turbulent like a shadow dance. "I was there, too, you know, but I was _closer_, I could've _touched_ him, take him back from that one-eyed freak of a follower, could've _saved_ Percy." He splayed his hands in the air, seemingly artistic, symbolic, defeated. "But I didn't."

"Annabeth told you not to," Rachel protested. "She said to stay where you were, and Ethan had a sword to Percy's _throat!_ You couldn't have done anything, Nico."

"That's the point, isn't it?" He mused, eyes distant. "You said I couldn't, but I _could.._ I _could've_ ignored Annabeth's orders, lunge forward, and try to get Percy, but he would've just been killed, right? I wouldn't bring him in danger like that, I can't. I won't." He brought up his gaze again, looking into hers, dark, unanswerable, distorted in throes of patterns and pain. "So you're not the only one that feels like they failed. But the difference between you and me? I was closer. I was closer to debating or not if I was willing to let my friend get his throat cut just to take him back. I still couldn't save him."

Rachel shuddered at the lone boy standing resolutely, brokenly in the Big House's room, feeling the anguish and sorrow radiating off his person. She couldn't compare to him.

As she sagged against the windowsill, her hands brushed something, a feeling of a piece of paper, and she looked down, noticing a sliver of white hanging from the minute slot of the windowsill. She pulled it out, crumpled as it was, to investigate.

Percy's poorly drawn figures peered up mockingly at her. He must've stuffed it under the windowsill in a hurry, running off to play before finishing his drawing, or maybe, he didn't like it, opting to store it there in place of a trashcan instead. No matter the reason, it was still Percy's doodles on the crinkled piece of paper.

Annabeth with a big head of puffy, flouncy hair, yellow crayon into place. Grover with his hooves and horns, goatee prominent on him. Nico with his big dark eyes and pale skin and a quirk of a mouth. Tyson with his one eye and toothy grin. There were many other people, Silena, Travis and Connor, Charles, Chiron, and her, with her hair of flaming red and freckles of flaws.

She looked upwards, and in the corner of the right side, the words '_My family'_ was childishly, sloppily, truly, written. How in the world Percy knew how to spell at that age was beyond her, but she felt her throat close off, making an awkward sort of noise.

Nico stepped closer, curious, and she showed him the picture, of Percy's affections and memories, and the younger boy inhaled painfully, eyes wide and hurt.

"We have to save him," Rachel finally managed, knuckles white. "We have to get him back, Nico."

His answering silence was loud enough for her to feel satisfied.

Poseidon's anger roared it's agreement in a shower of rain and ocean tides.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Ethan Nakamura was beginning to seriously get a headache.

He glared his one-eyed glare at a sullen Percy. Who had bandages from the fingertips to his shoulder.

"You are an idiot," Ethan said, spinning on heel to investigate the fridge. "Eat your breakfast."

The two were situated in a certain part of the labyrinth that was renovated into a housing-kitchen area. Ingenious plan, it was.

Percy moved his scrambled eggs huffily around his plate with a fork. "It's not blue," he grouched.

"Don't get huffy with me," Ethan threatened, and really, how in the _world_ did he get reduced to this position? Arguing with and babysitting a five-year old. Why? "Eat your damn eggs. Blue eggs are a freaking privilege you sure as hell don't deserve." Ethan turned back to the fridge, hands taking out the orange juice. He slammed the refrigerator shut. "_Maybe_ if you hadn't tried to escape _again_, I would've felt happy today and made blue eggs. Have you ever wondered about that? Hmm?"

Percy merely glared moodily at the normal eggs. "I hate this place," he said. He slouched more into his seat, desperation lacing his tone. "I want out, Ethan. I hate it here, I don't belong here."

The boy winced a little in pain as his arm brushed roughly against the kitchen table, the injuries coming from his latest failed escape involving bricks, rope, and several clueless laistrygonians. Needless to say, the plan failed amazingly.

Ethan softened slightly, trying to understand Percy's position, but he still remained firm. "Then learn to deal with it," the teen spat, pouring juice into a glass with a sharp motion. "You're our prisoner, this place isn't a daycare, and you're _stuck_ here. You can't escape, and you can't do anything about it, understand?"

Percy squared his jaw. "No."

Ethan sighed, opting to take a sip of his acquired orange juice to calm his already dwindling nerves. "How many times have you tried to escape, _Peter."_

"Don't call me that," Percy said, snarling, actually, but he still hesitated, before answering, rather indignantly and humiliated. "…Thirty-six."

Ethan nodded, going along. "Yes, you _tried_ escaping _thirty-six_ times. Now, did any of those plans succeed?"

"…No." Percy sounded rather peeved at the fact.

"Right," Ethan agreed. "Your _thirty-six_ (he honestly can't stop emphasizing the thirty-six. It was insane how much the kid wanted to escape!) plans on escaping _all failed._ What makes you think your next few plans will work?"

"It'll work!" Percy cried out, leaping onto his chair, eyes ablaze with purpose. "I'm not giving up." He glared. "And you won't be able to stop me."

"He might not, but I will."

The two boys jumped at the new voice, swiveling their heads to meet Luke's acid gaze.

The older blonde had band-aids all over his face, raw-looking scrapes on his forehead, and a disgusted scowl plastered on his lips.

He glared at Percy as the child did likewise.

Ethan wanted to hide from the tension.

The two were constantly at each other's throats since the beginning, fighting verbally, physically, with swords to fists, fighting and fighting.

It also doesn't help the fact that Luke was usually the one that was in the crossfire of Percy's many failed escape plans, the blonde having to save the younger from them, in fact.

Yes, the two weren't on the greatest of terms, obviously.

"Piss off," Percy said, venomously.

Ethan started. Who the heck taught him that- oh. Must've been him. Crap. He winced.

Luke drew back, obviously shocked at the course language coming out of the five-year old's mouth.

Percy noticed and smirked nastily, a smile that shouldn't have been on a child his age's mouth. "What, didn't think I could say stuff? Well, I can. So, Mr. Scar? _piss off._"

Newsflash: Percy has given his blonde commander a new nickname based on the movie, '_Lion King'_ out of spite. Maybe Ethan should begin to reconsider limiting his prisoner's TV time…plus, showing the kid the '_Godfather'_ was the worse choice on his part. But no one knew he showed the kid that, right? Right.

"Nakamura," Luke said, patience obviously waning at the sight of the smug Percy Jackson. "Let me inform you that if you keep letting him watch adult movies again, say, the '_Godfather'_, or anything of the sort, I will _personally_ stab you, and hang your innards from the walls and ceilings. Understood?"

Well, looks like he was found out. Ethan winced once again. The threat could've been worse.

"Understand, Ethan?" Percy mimicked Luke's voice mockingly, eyebrows fluttering.

Ethan glared. That traitor…

"Understood," he gritted out, fingers itching to wrap around a particular small child's throat.

Luke nodded, satisfied at pulling rank, and turned on Percy, glowering haughtily with dark blue eyes.

Percy stared back resolutely, still standing tall in his seat.

Ethan thought the whole scene resembled something out of an old western movie.

And he _hated_ old western movies.

"I'd watch my mouth around people with authority if I were you," Luke said, softly, dangerously, at Percy, calculating for a wrong move.

Percy crooked an eyebrow in faux amusement. "And you're saying you're the…'authority', around here. Right." The boy shook his head in an amused manner, showing more of the traits of an older individual than a mere five-year old. "I'd hate to see _real_ authority, then."

Ethan choked back a laugh.

Luke reared back as if slapped. "What-you-you _insolent brat._" A snarling growl.

Percy yawned, beginning to settle languidly back into his seat. "Anything else new, Mr. Scar?" A teasing smirk.

Luke paused, expression unreadable, before moving so swift, Ethan could barely have even thought of tracking, he was up in Percy's face, a hand in the child's hair, yanking it harshly, ignoring Percy's yelp of pain.

Ethan moved as if to help, but the warning glare that his commanding leader forced him back in his chair. The one-eyed teen couldn't breathe. _Son of a…_

"Listen here," Luke hissed in Percy's ear scathingly, grip firm and firmer as the smaller tried to wriggle away. "You act cocky, you walk all over us, you abuse us, but don't you forget that it was _me_ that saved your scrawny behind back there, saved _you_ from my _leader_. And honestly, what are you to us? You are useless." A harsh yank of the hair. Percy resisted the urge to whimper at the pull, opting to close his eyes, but Luke pulled again, forcing him to pay attention in rapt detail. "You are _nothing_ to me, to all of us here, _nothing._ You are a mere annoyance, hindrance, _insect_, and I could have you _killed._ But why do I let you live? Why did I save _you?_ The person that you'll become that had gotten in the ways of my plans for so long, why did I save you?"

"Sir," Ethan began, alarmed, but Luke ignored him, grip unrelenting.

"Because I _pity_ you, Perseus Jackson," the blonde man said, tone almost gentle except for the harsh words. "I _pity_ you, useless boy that you are, and I _saved_ you for that." A cold smile reflected into Percy's wide, sea-green eyes. "I could have you killed, you know."

"Let me go," Percy said, beginning to panic. "Let. Go." He struggled. "Let me go!"

"Luke!" Ethan snarled out, and the man started, as if breaking from a trance, grip releasing the black-haired boy. "Kid, go take a bathroom break."

Staring in fear and horror at Luke, Percy turned tail and fled, shaking.

"I…" Luke began to say, eyes alarmed, hand open.

"You went too far," Ethan gritted out, feeling a sense of new protectiveness at his assigned prisoner, feeling strange. "_Asshole._ He's only a kid."

Luke blinked, and an expression resembling guilt and sadness seemed to cross his scarred face before his mask was pulled up again, cold and remorseless. He straightened. "Shut the hell up, Nakamura. I do what I do." He stopped, giving a look of contempt to the one-eyed teen. "Get in my way and I'll have you disposed of."

Ethan stared at the blonde's receding back from the kitchen, hands flexing, angry and worried.

The kid was going to get him killed one of these days.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Percy ran gasping into the restroom, breathing heavily as he went quickly over to the sink, Luke's words echoing into his ears like a cacophony of locusts.

'_Useless…pity…killed.'_

Percy shuddered, clutching his thin arms as he ached to be held by his mom and friends again, his family.

His family.

Percy's throat closed up painfully, and he felt tears beginning to well up at the corner of his eyes.

He shook his head. No. He had to remain strong, strong enough to escape, to get back to Camp Half-Blood.

'_Insect.'_

But was he strong enough…?

'_Annoyance. Hindrance.'_

Percy swallowed, feeling a sense of fear creep up on him as he thought, would the camp even _want_ him back?

He was just a kid.

An annoying, loud, _useless_ kid.

The boy slumped, leaning slowly into the floor, when something pressed firmly, yet gently into his thigh.

Percy started, sitting up to investigate, but realizing that the mystery object was in his pant pocket. He reached to pull it out.

The red coral albatross.

His throat began to flex and squeeze, masking his noise of loneliness as he held his father's gift closer, the grainy surface of the coral reminding him deeply of the sea he belonged.

The sea…

The sea.

And it was like Percy's senses suddenly opened up, blocking unnecessary distractions as he noticed other things.

The puddle of water coming from the broken toilet. The light tapping of liquid from the leaky shower to the tiled floor. The internal gurgles of the sink to his hyper tuned ears.

Water.

Water.

_Father…_

Percy closed his eyes and _believed._

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Luke heard the screaming before he finally witnessed the scene.

He ran and ran, finally skidding to a stop as he saw the commotion.

A wall, a tsunami, a hurricane of water was filling up the hallway fast, reaching out watery hands to steal the laistrygonians and demigods' forms and voices away in a shower of bubbles and murky blue.

"Son of a bitch-" Luke heard a person cursed, and he swiveled, seeing Ethan ducking behind a shield as water slammed heartily into him, laying him out in puddles of toilet water and paper towels.

"What's going on?" Luke demanded to know, stomping over to his minion as he dodge other splashes of commode water, furious. "Who the _hell_ did this?"

"The- the kid!" Ethan spluttered, scooting away as he wiped water from his face. "He-Percy used his powers to toilet-blast us away! He escaped!"

Stunned silence.

Ethan's mouth dropped. "Oh. Oh _shit._ He _escaped._ Escaped. He escaped into the _Labyrinth."_

And Luke felt the blood drain away from his face in a rush of vertigo.

"_Percy."_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**TBC.**

**8D**

**I love cliffhangers….not really. OTL I wrote this late at night, finally! And I think writing short, happy little chapters make me happy, so I wrote short. To make me happy. I mean, you guys don't want me to quit this baby, riiiiighhhht~?**_** *is shot***_

**Annnyyyywaaaaaaaay- I have tons of homework, blah blah, because I'm growing up, going on into the big world of High School (God, I hate that place), so I barely have a lovely life anymore. *is depressed***

**AND. I was distracted. By other fandoms. 83 I know…I shouldn't be…I should be updating this thing faster…but I fell in love. Like. Bad.**

**Like. The Avengers movie. And from that, Steve/Tony. I'm a slash fan girl…I can't help myself… I love that movie, so much. SO. MUCH. I've fallen in love with the Stony pairing, and I don't want to get up. Keep me in this cast of Avenger-loving! I'm willing! ***_**is shot once more***_** So you might see an Avengers fic coming soon….maybe. **

**AND. Homestuck. The new biggie. I haven't even gotten FAR on the series…thing….but I fell obsessed with the fanart. And fan fiction. And information. And the comic series things. And Pepsicola. And JohnDave. Fangirling alert tiems! 8**

**I have been reading a great deal of wonderfully constructed fan fiction of these two fandoms, as of late, and I like to think it has helped me write better (Yeah right.).**

**So…TBC….I'm sorry for the cliffy….and the shortness. OTL Please…don't hurt me….**

**BTW, I LOVE YOU PEOPLES THAT HAS STAYED THIS LONG THROUGHOUT MY PROCRASTINATION AND SHIT. ILY, GUYS. SERIOUSLY. IF I WAS INTO POLYGAMY AND SHIZZ, I WOULD MARRY YOU GUYS. BUT I'M NOT. SO I WON'T. ANYHOO, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS, FAVES, AND ALERTS! *goes off to die in happy land***

**Review, por favore…? 8D**


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